Dance For My Father
by Andress Jade
Summary: This story is a sequel to I Adore You, Heart and Soul. It takes place 9 years later. Niles and Daphne's youngest daughter is a dancer. When Niles becomes seriously ill, she takes it the hardest. How will everyone handle it? Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Dance For My Father

**This story is a sequel to I Adore You, Heart and Soul, my first Niles and Daphne story. It takes place 9 years later. I have really good ideas for this story, so I hope it turns out as good as I anticipate. If you haven't read I Adore You, Heart and Soul yet I suggest you do before you read this or it will make absolutely no sense. I hope you like it. Any and all feedback is welcome. Enjoy! **

Chapter 1

It is 2020, nine years since Niles and Daphne's last child was born, a daughter they named Ashling. She is now nine years old, her older sister Emily is 12, and her oldest brother David, is now 16. Ashling resembles her mother in every way, she has brown hair and brown eyes, and is tall and thin. She looks older than nine because of her height. She is the only child of Niles and Daphne with dark hair and dark eyes. David and Emily are both blond haired and blue eyed like their father. David is a combination of both his parents in other ways though. David is very smart like his father but has his mother's big heart. He loves sports and animals like his grandpa Martin. David was the first born child for Niles and Daphne and both of them were a bit nervous wondering how he would turn out. Niles thought David would be more like Daphne's brothers due to the fact that he kicked a speaker of his mother's belly when he was still in the womb, he also caused his mother's water to break when his father mentioned an open bar. Daphne thought David would be more like Niles and Frasier, being a little genius before he turned six. But all their worries were for nothing. David turned out like both of his parents; smart, athletic and caring.

Emily is just like Daphne in every way. She has Daphne's stubbornness and moodiness. But she also has a caring heart. The only thing she really shares with her father is her intelligence. She loves to talk and has lots of friends. She loves cheer-leading and shopping. Both Niles and Daphne are proud of the young lady she has become.

Ashling may be the spitting image of her mother and may have picked up her mother's accent slightly but she is like her father in every way. She is obsessed with cleanliness and hates germs. Like her brother and sister before her, she is very intelligent but would rather dance than study. She loves to dance. According to her mother, Ashling came out dancing. Ashling used to kick her so hard, she thought her insides were turning black and blue. Ashling and her father have so much in common, they both like listening to classical music, playing the piano and are both very picky about pretty much the same things. Ashling got her love for dancing from her mother's side of the family, her uncle Billy is a ballroom dancer and her mother dreamed of being a dancer. Daphne is glad her dreams can live on through her youngest daughter. Daphne remembers the time when she was upset about finding out she was pregnant with Ashling. She didn't want another baby at that point in her life, because she wanted to go back to work but now she can't imagine her life without Ashling. She is an amazing little girl, it wouldn't be the same without her.

Niles and Daphne moved out of The Montana and bought a slightly bigger place. There just wasn't enough room at The Montana for three growing children. They wanted the children to have a yard to play in and Daphne wanted the children to make friends. There just wasn't a lot of children in The Montana and most of the families there were too stuck up to even want to make friends with Niles and Daphne. Niles wasn't in that league anymore once he married Daphne, he was more down to earth and accepted change. He realized love was more important than status. He was happy with his new life and family. The children loved the beautiful but modest house they moved to. They all have their own rooms and their own space. Ashling even has part of the basement to use to practice her dancing. They only live a few blocks away from Martin and Ronee. After Eddie died, Martin was devastated but after awhile he and Ronee got a new dog. Martin allowed the kids to name her, and they named her Belle after Belle from Beauty and the Beast. It was mainly Emily's doing but eventually they all accepted it.

It starts with the kids just getting home from school. David had football practice, Emily had cheer-leading practice and Emily has to get ready to go to dance class. David drove him and Emily to pick up Ashling and then drove home.

Once they got home David raided the fridge, Emily went straight to the phone to call her friends even though she just saw them at school, and Ashling goes to her room to change into her leotard for dance class.

When Daphne finally arrives home she sees David sitting on the couch eating and watching a game, and she sees Emily sitting in the corner talking on the phone. She just shakes her head as she goes to the kitchen to put the groceries away, the way David eats, she can't keep food in the house for very long. Once she gets done in the kitchen, she heads to her room to lie down, since the kids are older now, she has been taking on more clients and she is exhausted. Before she can make it to her room, Ashling comes out of her room and gets her mother's attention.

"Mummy, I need a ride. I have dance class tonight."

Daphne looks over at her youngest daughter who is dressed in a pink leotard with gray drawstring pants and white sneakers.

"Oh Ashling dear, I forgot all about it!" Daphne replies as she smacks her forehead.

Ashling puts her hands on her hips and glares at her mother. Daphne knows how important dancing is to her daughter but she was so busy today she completely forgot what day it was.

"Let me go ask your brother and see if he will take you."

Ashling approaches her mother and stops her.

"No mummy, I want you to take me."

"Why don't you want David to take you?"

Ashling shrugs.

"I don't know, I just want you to take me, okay? Please, mummy?"

Daphne looks at her daughter's face and knows she can't say no to those big brown eyes.

"Okay honey, go get your things."

Ashling grins as she turns and runs back to her room. Daphne blows the bangs out of her eyes, a sure sign of her frustration.

Daphne goes back into the living room. David has fallen asleep with the TV blaring so she shuts it off. Emily is still talking on the phone. She can't wait until Niles gets home, he has been staying late at the office more lately.

Ashling comes bounding into the living room carrying her bag on her shoulder.

"Okay mummy, I'm ready, let's go!"

Daphne looks at her daughter and smiles as she grabs her keys off the table. They head out the door and get into the car. Before long they are on their way to parks and recreation building for Ashling's dance class.

What Daphne doesn't know is that something terrible is about to change all their lives. Stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Daphne makes dinner as she waits for Niles to get home. Emily is still on the phone and David has now retired to his room to study but he is more than likely playing video games instead. Ashling is in the basement practicing. Her dance teacher talked to her about some things she needed to work on, so as soon as she got home, she went straight downstairs to practice. That girls entire world revolves around dancing. It's very important to her and she wants to do well. She is like her dad that way, she wants everything perfect or close to perfect and won't give up until it is.

Daphne makes sure she makes enough salad for Ashling and cooks up some baked chicken to put in it. Since she's a dancer, she doesn't eat heavy, but Daphne still makes sure she eats well. Everyone else is having fried chicken, mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. She makes sure she makes plenty for David, her big eater.

As Daphne waits for the chicken to finish frying she goes to the living room to see Emily still on the phone. She shakes her head as she approaches Emily. She looks down at Emily with a serious look on her face.

Emily looks up at her mom with an annoyed look on her face.

"Hold on, Katie. My mom wants something."

Emily covers the mouthpiece.

"What is it mum?"

"It's time to get off the phone, Emily. You have been on it for four hours."

"But mum-!"

"Emily Anne Crane, get off the phone right this minute or there will be no phone for a week!"

Emily rolls her eyes.  
>"Katie, I have to go. I will see you at school tomorrow. Okay, bye."<p>

Emily hangs up the phone.

"Mum, why did you do that! Katie and I were having a very important conversation!"

Daphne gives her daughter a skeptical look.

"An important conversation, Emily? You see Katie at school five days a week, what is so important that you have to talk to her for hours when you get home?"

"I wasn't just talking to Katie mum I also talked to Sarah earlier."

"Well, either way that's enough for the night and I better not catch you on the phone again tonight. I will take away your phone privileges for a week."

"If you got me a cell phone, it wouldn't be a big deal!"

Daphne goes back into the kitchen to check on dinner as Emily follows her.

"You know why your dad and I won't let you get a cell phone, Emily. We are no longer having this conversation anymore. Now set the table, please."

Emily groans and complains under her breath as she begins to set the table.

As if reading Daphne's Niles comes in the front door.

"Daphne, darling? Are you here?"

"In the kitchen, honey."

Emily sees her dad and before he can set down his briefcase she runs to him and hugs him tightly.

"Daddy, I'm so glad you're home!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Emily."

Daphne comes out of the kitchen and sees her husband and daughter in each others' arms. Daphne smiles for a brief moment.

"Hello, Niles. I'm glad you finally made it home. I was starting to worry."

"Sorry, I had to work late. I should be coming home earlier from here on out. It's been a busy work week, I had to take on a couple of extra patients."

"Well, I'm just glad you're home." Daphne says as she approaches him and gives him a kiss.

Emily gets disgusted.

"That is so gross. I can't believe you two still do that at your age."

They stop kissing and look at their daughter with shocked looks.

"Why wouldn't we, Emily. I'm married to the love of my life and I want to show her everyday how much I still love her." Niles explains.

Daphne smiles at her husband.

"Well, it's still gross."

"You won't think so in a few years, Emily. Have you finished setting the table?" Daphne asks.

Emily nods.

"Yes."

"Okay then go tell your sister and brother that dinner is ready."

Emily nods as she runs off to retrieve her brother and sister.

Before long the whole family has sat down as they enjoy a nice family dinner.

"The chicken is exquisite, Daphne."

"Why thank you, dear." Daphne says as she gives her husband a cute smile.

Niles smiles back at his wife as they finish their dinner.

A few hours later...

After the kids are finally in bed Niles and Daphne can both relax. Daphne lies in bed and watches a movie while she waits for Niles to come out of the bathroom. He is taking longer than usual which worries her so she decides to go in to check on him. Daphne knocks on the door.

"Niles are you all right? You've been in there awhile."

Niles doesn't answer her at first which causes her even more worry.

She knocks again.

"Niles?"

Still no answer so she tests the knob and thankfully it's not locked as she turns it and opens the door slowly but she is not prepared for what she sees as she gets a look of complete and utter shock as she lets out a bloodcurdling scream...

What does Daphne discover? Stay tuned to find out!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Daphne is frozen just staring at her husband lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood. She still has her hand over her mouth as if she is still screaming but the screaming has stopped. The scream is caught in her throat. She needs to check on Niles but she can't seem to move from the spot where she is standing. It's like her feet are glued to the floor. Daphne finally gets her voice back as she begins to cry uncontrollably.

The children heard her screaming and run in to see what the matter is. David is the first one to reach her. He sees his mother standing in front of the bathroom door with her hand on her mouth crying her eyes out. He approaches his mother and touches her shoulder.

"Mum, what's wrong? Why did you scream and why are you crying?"

Daphne looks up as if seeing her son for the first time. All she can do is point towards the bathroom. David follows her finger as he sees what she is pointing at. David gets a complete look of shock and disbelief on his face.

"Oh my God, dad!" David cries.

Emily and Ashling are standing there with the same shocked looks on their faces as they see their father lying on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood.

As David goes to attend to his father, he looks at Emily.

"Emily, call 911 right now!"

Emily just looks at her brother as reality hits her as she starts to cry.

"Emily! Go call 911, now!"

Emily nods as she runs to use the phone in the hallway to call 911.

Ashling is standing there crying her eyes out with her arms crossed across her chest.

"What happened to daddy, Davey?"

"I don't know, sis. All I know is, he's hurt. He has a gash on his head and it's bleeding really bad."

Emily comes back into the room.

"The ambulance is on it's way, Davey."

He looks at his sister and nods. He sees his mother still standing there in shock just crying her eyes out.

"Emily, Ashling, I want you to take mum into the living room and lie her down on the couch and wait for the ambulance to get here. Once they get here, you send them in here okay."

They both nod as they each grab one of their mother's arms and guide her into the living room. Once there, they sit her down.

"Mum, it's Emily. Can you hear me?"

Daphne looks at her daughter as if seeing her for the first time.

Daphne finally finds her voice.

"Emily?"

"Yes, mum it's me." Emily replies as she takes her mother's hand.

Daphne reaches up and places her hand on Emily's cheek as she begins to cry again.

Emily looks over at her baby sister.

"Ashling, could you please go and get mum a drink of water?"

Ashling nods as she heads towards the kitchen to get the water. A few moments later Ashling brings the water and hands it to Emily.

"Mum, I want you to drink this."

Daphne takes the water with shaky hands and begins drinking. Before long they hear the ambulance pulling into the driveway, it's sirens blaring.

"Ashling go let the EM T's in and take them to daddy and Davey while I stay with mum."

Ashling nods as she answers the door.

"Hello young lady, are you the one who called for an ambulance?"

Ashling shakes her head.

"No that was my sister, Emily."

The EMT just nods as he waits for further instruction.

"Um, come on in. I will show you where to go. Follow me."

Ashling leads the way as the EM T's come in. Two of them are pushing a stretcher as the other one is carrying an oxygen tank and a first aid kit.

David is still in the bathroom with his father. He is holding a towel against his father's head to control the bleeding.

Ashling and the EM T's make it into the bedroom as Ashling tells them where her father is. David looks up and sees the EM T's, so he gets up and out of the room so the EM T's can do their work.

As two of the EM T's check on Niles the third one begins to ask David questions.

"Do you know what happened to your father, young man."

"No, I heard my mother screaming and came running in, once I got in here she pointed to the bathroom floor where my father was lying. I saw him lying there in a pool of blood and when I approached him I saw he had a gash on his head. I grabbed a towel to stop the bleeding as my sister called you guys."

The EMT nods as he finishes writing everything down. Before long the other two EM T's have Niles up on a stretcher with a bandage on his head.

The EMT places his hand on David's shoulder.

"Thanks for your help young man, you did the right thing by applying pressure to the wound. You possibly saved your father from bleeding to death."

David nods.

"Thank you sir."

As the EM T's push the stretcher through the house, Ashling stops them.

"Is my daddy going to be okay?" she asks with tears in her eyes.

The EMT looks in her eyes and smiles.

"We will take very good care of your dad."

Ashling nods as she wipes the tears away. As they reach the living room, Daphne and Emily are still sitting on the couch. Emily has her arm around her mother's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Daphne looks up and sees her husband lying on the stretcher. She gets up and runs over to him.

"Niles!" Daphne yells as she wraps her arms around him and begins to cry uncontrollably again.

David intervenes as he pulls his mother away.

"Mum, they are going to take dad to the hospital. We can go there and see him, okay?"

"Oh David!" Daphne cries as she buries her face in her son's neck.

An hour later...

Daphne, David, Emily, and Ashling are all sitting in the waiting room still waiting on news of Niles' condition. Apparently the head injury was worse than they originally thought and they had to repair the damage through surgery. David has been trying to get a hold of Martin, Ronee, Frasier, Charlotte and Roz. Frasier and Charlotte have to fly in so they won't be there till later. But he hasn't been able to reach the others. He doesn't understand why they aren't answering their phones.

After what seems like forever the doctor comes out wiping his hands on a towel.

"Mrs. Crane?"

Daphne looks up and approaches the doctor.

"How is my husband, doctor? Is he all right?"

"I have good news and bad news, first of all we were able to repair the head injury with no problem but when we were doing a cat scan to determine the severity of the injury we discovered a mass on Dr. Crane's brain. I'm afraid he has a brain tumor."

Daphne lets out a gasp as she starts to collapse before David catches her. The tears roll down her face.

David looks at the doctor.

"How bad is it, doctor?"

"It doesn't look good, David. It's pretty far advanced but we are going to do everything we can to save your dad's life."

"Is that why he collapsed in the bathroom and hit his head?" David asks.

"Yes, you're dad was suffering from dizzy spells and headaches. When he was in the bathroom, he apparently had a dizzy spell, fainted and hit his head."

Daphne just continues to hold onto her son as she cries.

"He must have been keeping it a secret from all of you, I guess he didn't want you to worry."

It's Emily's turn to ask questions.

"Is my daddy awake?"

"I'm afraid he's slipped into a coma, Emily. But you are all more than welcome to come see him but please keep it brief."

They all follow the doctor into Niles' room and aren't prepared for what they see when they get there.

Will Niles make it? Stay tuned and find out!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Once they enter Niles' room, they are taken aback by what they see. It doesn't look like the person they saw hours before. His skin is pale, he has a bandage wrapped around his head, he has tubes coming out of his arm, and he is hooked up to life support with a respirator in his mouth.

Daphne has a really hard time seeing her husband like that as she breaks down crying and almost collapses to the floor. She ends up falling to her knees and crying her eyes out. The kids are upset and scared themselves and don't know what to do.

The doctor approaches Daphne and helps her up. He takes her over to the nearest chair and sits her down. He hands her a few tissues as he checks on her one more time. He goes to check on the kids to see how they are doing and they are just standing there staring at their father. David has his arm around Emily, Emily has her arm around Ashling, Ashling is leaning against Emily. David has tears in his eyes and the girls are quietly sobbing.

They just can't believe that their father is sick like this. To them he has always been healthy and strong, and to see him lying in a bed is almost too much for them to take.

Just when the doctor is about to escort the kids out, Frasier and Charlotte show up. As soon as Ashling sees her Uncle Frasier she runs to him and jumps into his arms. She is too big to be doing that but at this point, it doesn't really matter.

"Uncle Frasier!" Ashling cries as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Frasier just wraps his arms around his niece and holds her.

Charlotte sees David comforting Emily, as she cries into his chest. She approaches them and takes them out to the hall to sit down. Once she has taken care of them, she goes to check on Daphne. Daphne is still sitting in the chair, but now she is leaning back staring at the ceiling as the tears fall down her cheeks. Her arms are crossed in front of her as she clutches a tissue in her hand.

Charlotte approaches her.

"Daphne?"

Daphne is startled as she looks down and sees Charlotte.

"Charlotte?"

"Hi, Daphne."

Charlotte sits down next to Daphne as she wraps her in a hug. Daphne breaks down on Charlotte's shoulder. She just lets Daphne cry as she comforts her.

Before long the doctor asks everyone to leave the room since he has to run some tests, but Daphne won't have any of it.

Charlotte stands up as she takes Daphne's hand to help her stand up. But Daphne doesn't budge.

"Daphne, we have to leave now, the doctor needs to run some tests."

"I'm not leaving Niles. I am staying here until he wakes up."

The doctor overhears and approaches them.

"Mrs. Crane, I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"Then you will have to drag me out of here, that's what it will take. I refuse to leave me husband!"

Daphne stands up and approaches Niles' bed. She takes one of his hands in hers.

"Niles, I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I will be here when you wake up, just like I was all those years ago when you had your heart surgery. You pulled through that, and you will pull through this. I can't lose you, and the kids can't lose you. They need their father. What will Ashling do if you and her can't play the piano together and can't listen to classical music together? She's just like you, Niles and I don't think she can make it without you.

Emily loves you and you are the only one she can talk to about what is going on at school and with her friends. David and you don't have a lot in common, except art and you are the only one he can talk to about that. He is the only boy, and he needs you Niles. We all need you.

Daphne lays her head on Niles' chest as the tears roll down her cheeks. The doctor and Charlotte watch Daphne with tears in their eyes. The doctor decides to let Daphne stay with her husband. By this time everyone is gathered in the hallway by Niles' room.

After Frasier has comforted Ashling, he leaves her with the others as he tries to reach Roz, his father, and Ronee. He is able to finally reach Roz. She is on her way home from visiting Alice at college. She will be coming straight to the hospital instead of going home.

He is finally able to reach Martin and Ronee. When David had called earlier, they were sleeping and had their ringer off, so they didn't know David had called or had been trying to call. They promise to be there immediately.

Once Frasier makes the phone calls he joins his family once more. The kids are sitting next to each other on the couch, as Charlotte sits on the arm next to David. They are just all sitting there quietly with solemn looks on their faces. They are so worried about their father. Frasier begins to tear up as he thinks about his brother lying in there. He has never been more proud of his brother than right at this very moment. He is proud of him because of the beautiful family he has raised. His three beautiful children, and then there is Daphne. Dear, sweet Daphne. The woman that stole his brother's heart, gave him three amazing children and made him the happiest he has ever been. Niles can't die, he has too much to live for and Frasier will make sure the doctors do everything they can to save him.

Charlotte sees Frasier standing there staring with tears in his eyes. She stand up and approaches him as she wraps her arms around him.

"Just thinking about Niles, honey?"

Frasier wraps his arms around Charlotte and kisses her head.

"Yes, I'm just wondering what's going to happen if he doesn't make it. What will happen to Daphne and the kids?"

"You can't think about that right now, Frasier. All you need to concentrate on is being there for the family and Niles."

"You're right, Charlotte. I am the strong one, the rock. I have to be here for my family now."

"I can see it in your eyes Frasier, you are not just worried about Daphne and the kids, you are also worried about yourself. You don't know what you will do without Niles."

"He's my little brother and I love him. I don't want him to die."

"I know you don't Frasier, none of us do."

Charlotte snuggles up against Frasier to offer a little extra comfort.

"Frasier!"

Frasier pulls out of the hug and sees Roz running towards them. She reaches them and wraps Frasier in a hug. Frasier picks her up and spins her around as he holds her for a minute. She lets go of Frasier and then gives Charlotte a hug.

"Roz, I am so glad you finally made it!"

"Yes, I'm sorry Frasier. I had my phone shut off when I was visiting Alice." Roz replies as she pulls out of the hug and looks at Frasier.

"Well, you're here now and that's all that matters."

Roz nods with tears in her eyes as she spots the kids and begins talking to them.

"I'm going to get a cup of coffee, does anybody want anything?" Charlotte asks.

Frasier and Roz both want coffee. The kids don't want anything. Charlotte excuses herself to get the coffees.

While she is getting the coffees, Martin and Ronee show up.

They all greet each other and exchange hugs. Charlotte finishes getting the coffees as Martin and Ronee each get one for themselves. Once they get the coffees they join the others.

As soon as the kids see their grandfather their faces light up as they jump up to give their grandfather hugs.

"Grandpa!" they all cry.

Ronee stands there feeling all left out as Martin has the kids' attention. But, before long the kids give hugs to Grandma Ronee.

Once the initial excitement wears off the kids go back to being their somber selves as they sit back down on the couch.

Martin pulls Frasier to the side to talk to him.

"So how is Niles?"

"It doesn't look good, dad. From what I heard he is in the advanced stages of a brain tumor."

Martin lets out a gasp of shock as he starts to cry. He suddenly can't catch his breath as he leans over as he puts all his weight on his cane. Frasier grabs his father and sits him down in the nearest chair.

"Frasier, I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Martin gasps.

Frasier gets Ronee's attention.

"Ronee, go get a doctor!"

Ronee looks at Frasier as she registers what he is telling her. She then runs off to get a doctor.

Frasier focuses his attention back on his father.

"Dad, just take deep breaths, and breathe slowly."

Martin tries that but he just can't seem to catch his breath as he collapses in Frasier's arms and everything goes black.

Is Martin okay? What does the future hold for Niles? Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Martin was put on a gurney and wheeled to the nearest room. He was given an oxygen mask and was asked to rest. Thankfully he was okay, he just had a terrible panic attack. Hearing of Niles' condition seemed to set it off. Everyone was concerned for him and was afraid he had a heart attack. They were all relieved to find out it was just a severe panic attack.

After Martin had gotten some rest, he wanted to go see Niles. Even though Niles was in a coma, Martin still wanted to see him. Ronee took Martin into see him as they sat next to his bed. Daphne was still there but had fallen asleep in the chair, Martin and Ronee wanted to keep quiet as not to wake her because they knew she needed her sleep.

Roz made sure the kids got to school and promised to bring them back to see their father once school was out.

Frasier and Charlotte left to get something to eat and get a little rest themselves since they were a bit jet lagged from the flight to Seattle.

A few hours later...

Roz gets a call from Ashling's school asking her to come pick Ashling up. Ashling was so terribly worried about her father that she just wanted to go back to the hospital to be with him. She couldn't concentrate on her school work so the teacher allowed her to go lie down in the nurses office. That is where Roz finds her when she picks her up. Ashling is all curled up lying on the cot facing the wall. Roz approaches her.

"Ashling, it's Aunt Roz. Are you ready to go sweetie?"

Ashling turns around to face Roz. Her eyes are red from crying as she wipes the fresh tears from her cheeks. She nods as she sits up. Roz helps her get up as they walk out of the nurses office, out the front door and into Roz's car.

As they are driving to the hospital, Roz looks over at Ashling. She sees her looking out the window as she holds her knees to her chest. Roz is realizing how hard this is on her, her being so close to her father. They are so much alike and with her being only nine years old, there is a lot that she doesn't understand. Roz wishes there was something she could do for Ashling. It just breaks her heart seeing Ashling go through this. No child should have to deal with having a sick parent. Niles is such a good person and a good father and for Daphne and the kids to lose him now would be a terrible tragedy.

They finally reach the hospital as they park the car and go inside. Once they get inside, Ashling heads straight to her father's room. Once she gets there, Daphne looks up and sees her daughter standing at the door.

She gives her daughter a look of surprise as she stands up.

"Ashling, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be in school young lady."

Ashling just looks at her mother.

"I had Aunt Roz pick me up early. I couldn't stay at school any longer, mummy. I was too worried about daddy."

Daphne's expression softens as she approaches her daughter and gives her a hug.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you sweetie. I know you're worried about daddy."

Ashling nods against her mother as she wraps her arms around her tighter. Ashling just needs to feel the love and comfort of her mother right now. Ashling is a daddy's girl but she loves her mother too and at times like this, she is glad she has her mother to lean on.

Daphne and Ashling eventually make it back to the chair next to Niles' bed. Ashling sits on her mother's lap as she lays her head on her chest and listens to her mother's heartbeat.

They both end up falling asleep and are woken up by Niles stirring in bed. Ashling is the first one by her father's bedside. She has a big smile on her face as she looks at her father as he wakes up.

Niles opens his eyes fully after they have adjusted to the light in the room and he turns his head to see his little girl looking at him.

"Hi, daddy!"

Niles reaches up and touches his daughter's face. Daphne is so happy to see Niles awake as she leaves to find a doctor and in doing so she runs into Roz in the hallway. Roz decided to stay out there and let them be alone for awhile. Daphne grabs Roz and hugs her with a smile on her face.

"Niles is awake, Roz!"

"That's wonderful news, Daphne!" Roz replies as she returns the hug.

Roz sees Frasier and Charlotte coming down the hall, with Martin and Ronee not too far behind. They see Roz and Daphne hugging and when they reach them they are overjoyed to find out that Niles is awake. Daphne excuses herself to find a doctor as the rest of them go into Niles' room and see him holding his daughter in his arms with tears in his eyes.

Niles and Ashling hear them come in as they look in their direction. Niles reaches up for a hug from his brother, his sister in law, his father and stepmother and finally Roz.. They are all happy to see him awake, but they know he isn't out of the woods yet.

Daphne finally finds a doctor as they come into the room. The doctor is happy to see Niles awake as he gives him a quick exam. He takes the respirator out of Niles' mouth so he can speak.

Ashling joins her father on the bed as she gives him a hug. Niles hugs his daughter and kisses her cheek.

"I'm so glad you woke up daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, my Brown Eyed Girl."

Ashling loves her little nickname that her father gave her as she lays against his chest.

Everyone is happy to see Niles awake and smiling but their happiness is soon to be short lived. Stay tuned to find out why.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

David and Emily were happy that their dad was awake. Like their sister Ashling, they had no idea how short lived their happiness would be. Even though Niles was awake and smiling he was by no means out of the woods yet. He has a long and difficult journey ahead of him and his family and friends will be there with him through it all.

The next day...

Daphne is busy as a bee fixing up and decorating Niles' room while he naps. She wants him to wake up and see what she has done. Daphne wants to do nothing but make her husband as comfortable and happy as possible. She loves him so much and there isn't anything she wouldn't do for him. He has a chemotherapy and radiation treatment later in the day and Daphne wants to spend as much time with him as she can before then.

As Daphne is straightening some pictures on the table next to Niles' bed, she starts to hum to herself. Niles wakes up to hear his wife humming, as he turns his head to look at her, he has never seen anything more beautiful in his life. To this day, Daphne still takes his breath away. To him she is the most beautiful woman in the world, not just on the outside but the inside as well. She has the most loving, giving heart, she's a wonderful mother, and an amazing wife. How did he ever get so lucky to have her in his life?

Niles gets his wife's attention as she is still fixing items on the bedside table.

"Hello, my love."

Daphne stops what she is doing and looks at her husband. Niles smiles at her as he reaches out his hand to her. Daphne smiles back as she takes his outstretched hand.

"Hello, honey. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yes I did and it's so nice to wake up and see your beautiful face and hear your voice."

"Niles Crane, you are such a charmer even after all these years."

"But you still love me right?" Niles asks innocently.

"Of course I do. I fall in love with you more and more everyday. Even after 17 years, I am still proud to be your wife."

Niles gets a mischievous look on his face as he pulls Daphne closer to him.

"Why don't you prove it to me then, Mrs. Crane."

"Niles, we're in a hospital!"

"I know where we are, but I still want you to prove to me how much you love me, now come here."

Daphne comes closer to Niles as she leans over to give him a kiss but before she can react, Niles grabs the back of her head and pulls her towards him and gives her a kiss that makes her head spin.

Daphne really gets into the kiss as she wraps her arms around Niles' neck and runs her fingers through his hair. Before long, she has joined her husband on the bed as they continue to kiss passionately. That is how they are found by Frasier and Charlotte.

Frasier and Charlotte watch them for a few moments before interrupting.

"I see nothing has changed, you two still can't keep your hands off each other."

Niles and Daphne stop kissing and look over at Frasier with looks of surprise. After the initial shock Daphne jumps up off the bed and straightens her hair and clothes.

Niles is the first one to speak.

"Impeccable timing as usual ,Frasier."

"I'm glad I came in when I did. Who knows what might have happened?" Frasier replies as he looks at Niles.

Niles just responds by grabbing Daphne's hand and kissing it.

"Can you blame me for wanting to ravish this beautiful woman?"

Daphne becomes embarrassed.

"Niles!"

Frasier and Charlotte just laugh.

To ease the uncomfortableness in the room, Daphne asks Niles what he thinks of the room.

"So what do you think of your room, Niles? I brought some things from home. There are pictures of the kids and us, and also a picture of Frasier and Charlotte. I made sure I brought some of your figurines from home and of course I brought you some of your favorite CD's and the little CD player."

Niles sits up a bit more in bed as he leans back and observes the room. He then looks at his wife with a smile as tears form in his eyes.

"It looks wonderful Daphne. Thank you."

"You're welcome, I just wanted to make you as comfortable as possible."

"Daphne, what would I do without you?"

"You will never have to find out." Daphne exclaims as she looks at Niles with tears in her eyes as she holds his hand.

They are interrupted by the doctor entering the room.

"Hello, everyone."

"Hello, doctor." They all reply.

The doctor gives Niles a quick examination.

"How are you feeling right now, Dr. Crane?"

"I'm doing okay. A bit tired but otherwise good."

"I'm glad to hear that." the doctor says as he finishes his examination.

Once he is done he asks Daphne, Frasier and Charlotte to step out into the hall so he can speak with them.

"I'll be right back, Niles." Daphne says to her husband.

Niles nods as he lets go of her hand.

Once they are all out of the room, Niles looks over at the bedside table and sees the picture of him, Daphne and the kids. He reaches over and picks it up.

He holds it and looks at it for a few moments. He runs his finger across the faces of his wife and children. In doing so, he begins to cry silently as the tears fall down his cheeks. He can put up a good front in front of his wife and family but when he's alone he takes off the mask and faces the truth. He knows he's sick and dying, he is going to do everything he can to fight it for his wife and children, but in the end they are all going to have to face the reality that they are going to lose him. Niles wipes the tears from his cheeks as he places the picture back on the bedside table. He picks up a CD, places it in the CD player, and pushes play. He leans back against the pillows as his favorite aria drifts from the speakers. He closes his eyes and lets the music relax him. This is just what he needed.

What news does the doctor have for Daphne, Frasier and Charlotte? Stay tuned to find out!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After the doctor gathered everyone out in the hall outside Niles' room, he asks everyone to sit. Once everyone is seated he starts to speak.

"There is a reason why I called all of you out here. I wanted to give you some news on Dr. Crane's condition. Now, there is good news and bad news. As you all know, Dr. Crane is in the advanced stages of a brain tumor. But, after looking over his scans once more I truly believe that the tumor can be removed with surgery, that's the good news. The bad news is that there is no guarantee that the tumor won't return sometime in the future. We are going to do everything we can for him."

Everyone is speechless for a moment as they absorb what the doctor told them. After a few moments of silence Daphne speaks.

"So you are sure that the tumor can be removed with surgery?"

The doctor nods as he acknowledges Daphne.

"Yes, even though the tumor is in the advanced stages, it's very small and is easily accessible."  
>Daphne lets out the breath she was holding as she reaches to Frasier and Charlotte for hugs. They are all relieved by the good news.<p>

"I will excuse myself now and allow you to spend a few moments with Dr. Crane before we take him down to have his treatments; and Mrs. Crane you are more than welcome to give your husband the good news."

Daphne smiles and shakes the doctor's hand.

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor smiles and nods as he excuses himself to give Niles and the family a few moments together.

The three of them enter the room with smiles on their faces. Niles has his eyes closed listening to his CD, so he doesn't see them come in. Daphne approaches him and gets his attention by leaning over and kissing his cheek ever so lightly.

Niles reacts by opening his eyes and looking up into the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes he has ever seen.

"Daphne." he whispers.

Daphne smiles at him as she grabs his hand.

"Niles, I have good news, honey."

Niles reaches over and turns down the radio with his free hand.

"What is it, Daphne?"  
>"The doctor just told us that even though your brain tumor is in the advanced stages, it's small and in a very good location which makes it easily accessible. It can be removed through surgery."<p>

Niles gets a look of surprise on his face as he looks at Daphne.

"I can have surgery to remove the tumor?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes." she answers with tears in her eyes.

Niles grabs Daphne and wraps her in a hug as he cries tears of joy.

"I am so happy! This is the best news ever! I can't believe it!"

Everyone shares Niles' enthusiasm as they all cry tears of joy. The children arrive and see everyone crying, and they automatically assume something is wrong.

David is the first one to say something.

"Uncle Frasier, what's going on? Why are you all crying?"  
>Frasier acknowledges his nephew.<p>

"We are crying tears of joy, David. We just got the best news from the doctor."

Daphne gets up from her spot on the bed as she approaches her son.

"David, your dad will be able to have surgery to remove the tumor."

Daphne tells her son as she wraps him in a hug. David pushes his mother away and gives her a look of confusion.

"How is that possible, mum? The doctor said that dad's tumor was in the advanced stages."

"That's true it is, but after looking over your dad's scans again; he realized that the tumor isn't that big and is easily accessible and can be removed through surgery."

David looks at his mother as he registers what she told him. He smiles as he hugs her.

"That's the best news ever, mum!"

Daphne nods and smiles as she returns the hug.

Emily and Ashling can't contain their excitement as they approach their father and give him hugs. Emily is the first to say something.

"I am so happy that you are going to be okay, daddy."

"I knew you would be, daddy. You wouldn't leave us." Ashling exclaims as she gives her dad a kiss on the cheek.

"I could never leave any of you, you are stuck with me for a long, long time." Niles says as he hugs his daughters close and looks at his wife and son with a smile.

Frasier and Charlotte grab hands as they watch the scene before them. After a few moments, the family scene is interrupted by a nurse and an orderly pushing a wheelchair into the room.

"Time for your treatments Dr. Crane."

The girls climb off their father as the nurse helps Niles out of bed and puts him into the wheelchair.

"This is going to take a few hours if you would all like to go get some fresh air and something to eat."

"Yeah, good idea. I'm going to call dad and see if he and Ronee would like to join us. We can give them the good news over dinner."

Daphne agrees.

"That's a good idea, Frasier."

They all give Niles goodbye hugs as they file out of the room. Before Daphne can even walk to the door, Niles grabs her by the arm and pulls her towards him.

Daphne looks at Niles, startled. He places his finger on his lips before replying.

"How about a kiss for good luck?"

Daphne smiles at her husband as she leans down and gives him a good luck kiss. Daphne starts to pull away as Niles grabs the back of Daphne's head with his hand, to keep her from pulling away. They hold the kiss for a few moments longer. The girls begin to get grossed out as their parents pull out of the kiss. The kiss leaves Daphne breathless as she stands and has to find something to hold onto so she doesn't collapse right there. Niles has a satisfied grin on his face.

Daphne just looks at Niles with a look of shock on her face before he is wheeled out of the room. She manages to speak.  
>"You are still the best kisser, Niles Crane."<p>

"Glad to know I haven't lost my touch."

Everyone laughs as Daphne turns 10 shades of red. The orderly wheels Niles out of the room with the nurse not far behind. Everyone watches them head towards radiology and before long they turn the corner and are out of sight. They all start heading towards the exit and out to the parking lot.

Now that he knows his dad is out of earshot, David puts his two cents in.

"I hope you two never embarrass me by doing that in public or in front of my friends. I will never be able to show my face at school again."

Daphne just smiles at her son. Frasier and Charlotte laugh.

"David!" Emily cries as she smacks the back of her brother's head.

David reacts as he rubs the spot.

"What?"

"Why did you say that to mum? She and Daddy love each other. I'm glad they still kiss each other."

Daphne looks at her daughter.

"You weren't too keen on it the other day, Emily."

"Just because I don't want to watch you and Daddy kiss, doesn't mean I'm not happy that you still do. I'm glad you and Daddy are still in love with each other and happy. I have a lot of friends whose parents can't stand the sight of each other."

"I'm glad that you feel that way, Emily because your daddy and me will always love each other. Nothing will ever change that." Daphne tells her daughter as she gives her a squeeze.

"I never want you or Daddy to leave, mummy." Ashling chimes in.

Daphne smiles at her youngest as she wraps her arm around her and gives her a kiss on the head.

Before long they have all made it to David's car.

"Mum, are we all going in my car or is Uncle Frasier going to drive us?"

"How about you three go in your car and the three of us will go in Uncle Frasier's car."

Frasier agrees and gives a nod.

"That sounds fine, Daphne. I will call dad and have him and Ronee meet us at the restaurant."

"Okay, I will see you three at the restaurant in 20 minutes." Daphne tells her children.

The kids nod as they pile in the car. Frasier, Charlotte and Daphne walk over to Frasier's car and get in and before long they are on their way to the restaurant to have a celebratory dinner.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A few days have passed since the day of Niles' treatments. It is now the weekend, and Daphne and the children are spending some quality time before Niles goes in for his surgery. The doctor wanted to wait a few days to make sure that Niles was strong enough to withstand the surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments take a lot out of a person, plus the doctor wanted to make sure Niles' head was healed up from his fall in the bathroom. If it wouldn't have been for that accident, the tumor would have never been found, and Niles would have died within weeks. Now Niles has a chance to live a longer, fuller life and his wife and children won't have to say goodbye to him so soon.

The doctor allowed Niles to leave the hospital for a few hours so he could spend time with his wife and children. The children are especially happy to be able to spend time with their dad outside the hospital. Niles has to take it easy and not overdo it because he is still a bit weak, he promises to be careful because he wants to enjoy this time with Daphne and the children. What Niles doesn't know is that Martin, Ronee, Frasier, Charlotte and Roz all have a big party waiting back at the house for him. Daphne and the kids are having a hard time keeping it a secret from Niles.

It has been hard being at the house without Niles being there, it hasn't felt like home. It's been hard for Daphne to sleep at night because Niles isn't lying next to her, so she has been staying with him overnight at the hospital quite often, even if it is uncomfortable, but at least she is by Niles' side.

They are all in the car and Daphne is driving as Niles sits next to her in the passenger seat; David, Emily and Ashling are all sitting in the backseat talking and laughing. Daphne takes her eyes off the road for a moment to watch her children through the rear view mirror. She smiles as she watches them. She is happy to see her children getting along so well, it makes her wish that she had been closer to her brothers growing up. The only ones she was really close to were Stephen and Michael, they took care of her and watched out for her, like David does with his sisters. Granted, when he was young, David wasn't too happy to have two little sisters but he grew to love and accept them, I guess he realized he had no choice in the matter. He didn't have a magic wand he could use to change them into little brothers, although I'm sure he wanted to at times. Daphne focuses her attention back on the road as she realizes they are getting close to their house. Niles lets out a laugh after he hears something one of the kids says, and Daphne can't help but get a tear in her eye. Hearing Niles laugh is the best sound to her right now, she hasn't heard his laugh in so long, it makes her feel good.

They finally reach their street as Daphne turns and pulls into their driveway. Niles notices where they are and gives Daphne a look of confusion.

"Daphne, why are we at the house? I though we were going out somewhere?"

"We are, but the children needed to take care of a few things and I want to change clothes." Daphne explains as she opens the door to get out.

Niles grabs her arm to stop her. Daphne looks at Niles' hand on her arm and then at him.

"You look beautiful just the way you are, darling. You don't need to change clothes."

Daphne flashes Niles a cute smile.

"You're very sweet to say so, but I have been wearing this outfit since yesterday. I would really like to change into something else."

Niles lets go of his wife's arm and nods.

"Well, okay but do you mind if I come in with you? It's been awhile since I've been home and it would be nice to see it."

Daphne grins.

"Sure, let's go in."

The children pile out of the car, with Niles and Daphne not far behind. Niles takes Daphne's hand in his. He's a bit weak, but holding onto Daphne's hand gives him all the strength he needs, she is his rock. He doesn't know what he would do without her and he hopes he never has to find out.

Daphne holds Niles hand, it feels so good in hers. It's been so long since they have held hands, just the smallest gestures can mean so much. She has always loved holding hands with Niles, he is so gentle. Sometimes, absentmindedly he will run his finger across the back of her hand very lightly which sends tingles throughout her entire body. She loves him so much.

They finally reach the door and apparently David forgot his key, or so he says so Daphne digs in her purse and finds the house key. She puts the key in the lock and unlocks the door, she turns the knob slowly and slowly pushes the door open. It's pitch black dark in the house and just when Niles is about to find the switch to turn the light on, the house is suddenly drenched in light as everyone jumps up.

"SURPRISE!" they all yell.

Niles is taken aback for a moment as he sees his friends and family all gathered around the living room.

Before he can react, they each come up to him and hug him and pat him on the back.

Daphne, David, Emily and Ashling all stand there with innocent smiles plastered on their faces, acting like they had nothing to do with this.

Niles faces them.

"You were in on this too, weren't you?"

"We fooled you, didn't we daddy?" Ashling asks.

Niles gives his youngest daughter a smile as he answers.

"Yes, you did. I was completely fooled, I had no idea you had a surprise party waiting for me. But why, it's not my birthday."

Daphne answers.  
>"No, it's not, dear."<p>

Niles begins to get nervous thinking he forgot Daphne's birthday or their anniversary. He looks over at Daphne and gives her a nervous smile. He grabs her hand and kisses it.

"Happy Birthday, darling."

Daphne gives Niles a strange look.

"Niles, it's not me birthday."

Niles lets out the breath he was holding and then looks at Daphne, confused.

"Okay...its not your birthday."

Niles contemplates for a moment, then his face lights up as he continues to hold Daphne's hand.

He gives Daphne a look of pure love.

"Happy Anniversary, my love."

Daphne pulls her hand away from Niles' grasp and smacks his shoulder.

"It not our anniversary, either you silly sod!"

Niles rubs the spot where Daphne smacked him.

"Then what's going on? Why are you throwing me a surprise party?"

Frasier approaches his brother and answers him.

"We threw you this party to wish you well on your surgery. We all love you, and we wanted to show you how much."  
>Niles is overwhelmed by Frasier's words.<p>

"Frasier, I'm overwhelmed by all of this, you really shouldn't have." Niles says as he wraps his brother in a hug as tears from in his eyes.

"I know, son. But we wanted to. You are very important to all of us, we just wanted you to know how we feel and that we will be with you every step of the way." Martin tells his son.

Niles pulls out of the hug as he hugs his father.

"Thanks, dad."

The sentimental moment is broken when Ronee speaks up.

"Hey, this is supposed to be a party, so let's have a party!"

Everyone agrees as food and drinks get passed around, the radio gets turned up, people begin talking and laughing. Niles stands by himself and just observes everyone for a little while and as he watches them, he almost forgets that he is sick. His family is good about helping him forget his troubles and making him feel loved. He couldn't ask for a better family. As he continues to watch, he spots Daphne with Roz as they are both laughing. Niles smiles to himself.

_She is the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am lucky to have her in my life. She is my wife, my lover, my friend. Oh Daphne, I love you so much. I never knew what love was until I met you. My love, my darling, my goddess. I never want to imagine life without you, because life without you wouldn't be any life at all. _

Niles' breath catches in his throat as he watches Daphne turn her head as she flips her hair behind her shoulder. Daphne notices Niles watching her as she looks at him and gives him a flirty smile. His heart feels like it's beating out of his chest. He doesn't think he can take it any longer as he and Daphne continue to make eye contact from across the room. Daphne licks her lips as she tucks her hair behind her ear.

_Why is she doing that now? She knows what that does to me. She's such a tease. _Niles thinks to himself.

Daphne averts her attention back to Roz as Roz continues to talk to her. Niles wants to go over to Daphne and take her in his arms and show her how much he loves her but right now his legs feel like jelly and his feet are glued to the carpet. There are tons of people in the room but right now Niles only sees Daphne. Somehow he manages to get his feet to work as he maneuvers his way through the crowd of people. He finally reaches Daphne and takes her by surprise when he grabs her hand.

Daphne looks over at him with a look of surprise on her face, but calms down once she sees who it is.

Niles looks at Roz.

"Excuse us Roz, I'm stealing my wife away for a minute. Thank you."

Niles pulls on Daphne's arm, gesturing her to come with him. Niles continues to pull Daphne along behind him as he finally reaches his destination: their bedroom.

"Niles what are you doing? There is a party in the other room, in your honor. We should be out there with our family, not in here."

"Don't worry Daphne, they won't miss us. We won't be gone that long, I just wanted to get you in here with me by ourselves, just the two of us."  
>"Why Niles, what's the matter? Are you all right?" Daphne asks concerned as she starts to check him out.<p>

"I'm just fine, Daphne. As a matter of fact, I have never felt better." Niles says with a smile on his face.

"Well, I'm glad. Let's get back to the party before they start to worry about us."

Daphne turns to leave the room but before she can take one step, Niles grabs Daphne's arm.

"Daphne don't go."

"Why Niles?"

"You know how long it's been since we have been in this room alone together? I can't even remember the last time."

Daphne looks around the room.

"Yes, it has been awhile."

"I have missed being alone with you, and I want to show you right now how much."

"Niles, we can't. What about the party, all those people?"

"Don't worry about them, darling. Right now it's just you and me." Niles whispers as his fingers caress Daphne's cheek.

Daphne stares straight into Niles' baby blues for a moment and then she starts to speak, but before she can get a word out, Niles presses his lips to hers. Daphne fights it for a moment but then she gives in as she wraps her arms around Niles' neck. Niles' hands slide down to the small of Daphne's back as he leans her back onto the bed. She pulls out of the kiss for a moment and gives Niles a look of pure love, her brown eyes seem to sparkle, even in the dim light that is shining in the room from the window.

"I love you, Daphne and I always will."

"I love you, Niles." Daphne breathes as she places her lips back on Niles' once more.

Oh how they have both missed this and have wanted this for so long. As Niles and Daphne are wrapped up in themselves they are unaware of what's going on at the party.

Back at the party Roz is by herself waiting for Daphne to come back. She looks down at her watch every so often as she waits for Daphne, but alas, Daphne doesn't come. She decides to get herself a drink when she is approached by Ashling.

"Aunt Roz, have you seen mummy or daddy? I have been looking for them but I haven't been able to find them. David and Emily don't know where they are either."

"Yes, your dad took your mom off in that direction." Roz says as she points.

Ashling nods.

"Oh okay thanks, Aunt Roz."

Ashling gives Roz a quick smile a she runs off to find her parents. Ashling looks all over for her parents but can't seem to find them.

"Where could they have gone to? I hope they didn't leave without saying goodbye." Ashling asks herself.

Suddenly, Ashling hears noises coming from her parents' room. She is happy she finally found them as she walks up to their bedroom door and grabs the doorknob...

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ashling stands at her parents' bedroom door and tires to turn the doorknob but to no avail. Why would they lock the door in the middle of the day? They never do that. Ashling becomes worried so she begins to knock.

Niles and Daphne are in the throes of passion, their heated bodies pressed together. Their passion is so extreme that they don't realize their nine year old daughter is on the other side of the door until they hear her knocking.

Niles face is buried in Daphne's neck. Daphne turns her head towards the door.

"Niles, there is someone at the door." she manages to say between pants.

"Just ignore them, they'll go away." Niles whispers into her hair.

"But Niles, what if it's one of the children?"

"They have their grandfather and their uncle, they will be fine."

Daphne tries to focus on what Niles is doing to her, but she can't help but be distracted. She is worried that one of the children might need something. She and Niles have never made love in the daytime, not since the children were little.

Daphne feels Niles lips on her neck, which helps her get her mind back on the task at hand. There is something different in Niles today, she has never felt this kind of urgency in him. It's almost like he feels this will be the last time for him. Daphne doesn't even want to think about that. Niles takes his mouth off her neck as he looks her in the eyes. He gives her a look she has never seen before, a look of desperation and need. She can't help but reach her hand up and caress his cheek.

"I love you, darling." he whispers to her.

"And I love you, so much." she whispers back.

Niles places his lips back on hers as they continue where they left off.

Ashling stands there for a moment wondering why her parents aren't answering the door. She hopes nothing is wrong with them. She is a bit worried so she goes back to the party to find David and Emily. She spots David with Grandpa Martin so she approaches him.

She pulls on his sleeve to get his attention.

"Davey?"

David looks down at his sister.

"What do you want?"

"I was looking for mummy and daddy, and Aunt Roz says they went to their room. But when I got there , they wouldn't answer the door. I think something might be wrong."

David just smiles at his baby sister.

"I'm sure they're fine, sis. I think they just want to be alone."

"But why, doesn't daddy want to spend some time with us too?"

"Of course he does, but I think that he just wants to be alone with mum for a little while."  
>"But Davey-"<p>

"Ashling! Just leave mum and dad alone, they will be back in a little while okay? Why don't you go find Emily and see what she is doing?"  
>Ashling knows better than to argue with her big brother, so she goes to find Emily.<p>

Niles and Daphne are in their bedroom, getting dressed. Daphne squirts a bit of perfume on herself as Niles splashes a bit of cologne on himself. Even though people will have a pretty good idea of what they were doing, there is no need for them to have them smell like they were doing something. Daphne runs the brush through her hair one more time as she checks herself in the mirror, to make sure her lipstick or makeup isn't smeared. Once they have finished they come out of the bedroom, hand in hand to join the party. Roz is the first one to notice them and she can see the looks on their faces and the all too familiar flush of their cheeks. She knows what they were doing but of course she has to say something about it to Daphne.

Roz approaches Niles and Daphne and decides to tease them a little bit.

"Hey you two, it's about time you got back to the party. What took you guys so long? What were you doing in there?"

Niles and Daphne both give Roz identical guilty looks as their cheeks turn crimson.

"You don't have to say it, Daphne. I can see it written all over your face." Roz grins slyly.

"I'm borrowing your wife for awhile, Niles. Why don't you go make conversation with Frasier? You need to cool off anyway."

Niles flashes Roz a dirty look.

"Thank you, Roz." Niles manages to say between gritted teeth as he goes to find his brother.

Roz manages to find a place where she and Daphne can talk. They both sit down as Daphne puts her hands in her lap and looks at the floor.

"So what happened, Daphne?"

Daphne gives Roz a skeptical look as she turns to face her.

"You know exactly what happened, Roz."

"Yes I do, but that doesn't mean I don't want details."

Daphne stands up.

"Roz! That's none of your business! What happens with me and Niles is nobody's business but our own!"

Roz is taken aback by Daphne's sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry, Daphne. I wasn't trying to pry, it's just that you usually tell me everything."

Daphne sits back down as she rubs her face with the palms of her hands.

"I'm sorry, Roz. I didn't mean to just blow up like that but I am a bit distracted."

"I can tell. Is it because of Niles' surgery tomorrow?"  
>"That's part of it but there is something else. The way Niles was with me earlier, it was so strange, it was almost like he was holding onto me like it would be the last time he ever would. There was an urgency in him and a look of want in his eyes that I have never seen before. I'm scared Roz. I'm scared that he will go into surgery and never come out." Daphne says as she starts to choke up.<p>

Roz wraps her arms around Daphne to comfort her. Daphne leans into Roz as she continues to cry.

Niles is standing with his father and brother, listening to their conversation. Frasier notices how quiet Niles is being and becomes concerned.

"Niles, are you all right? You seem distracted."

Niles looks at his brother.

"I'm fine Frasier, just a little scared about my surgery tomorrow. I'm scared of what might happen."

Frasier wraps his arm around his brother.

"I understand Niles. But, don't worry you will be in the best of hands and you are the strongest person I know. You made it through heart surgery, so I know you can make it through this."

"Thank you, Frasier. You are a good brother, I don't know what I would do without you."

"You will never have to find out."

Niles smiles at his brother when suddenly his vision becomes blurry. He rubs his eyes but that doesn't help, in fact it makes it worse. Suddenly, everything goes black and Niles can't see a thing, he panics.

"Frasier! Where are you? I can't see anything! Why can't I see anything!"

Niles tries to grab onto something, anything but all he keeps grabbing in thin air. He feels his leg his something as he falls forward. Things crash to the ground with a racket as Niles lies there on the floor, helpless.

Daphne approaches her husband and joins him on the floor.

"Niles!" Daphne cries as she tries to pick Niles up.

"Daphne? Daphne, is that you?" Niles asks as he puts his hands on her and touches her face.

"Yes Niles, it's me. Are you all right? What's wrong?" Daphne asks him with tears in her eyes.

"I can't see you, Daphne. I can't see you! Why can't I see you? What's wrong with me? Why is it so dark in here? Who turned out the lights? Help me!"

"I'm right here, Niles. I'm not going anywhere." Daphne tells her husband as she holds him and cries.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It's the morning of Niles' surgery, everyone is waiting anxiously and impatiently for Niles' test results. When Niles was brought in the evening before after losing his eyesight, the doctor wanted to run some tests right away to see what was causing the blindness. It's taking longer for the results to come in because they want to make absolutely sure they know what is wrong. The doctor had the lab run them several times just to make sure they caught everything. Now everyone is just waiting to hear from the doctor about the results.

Niles is resting quietly in his room, the impact of him losing his sight really affected him, and the doctor wanted him to get some rest before his surgery. He also wanted to tell the family alone about the test results, and have the family tell Niles the results personally. Bad news is easier to handle if it comes from a loved one.

Instead of having everyone wait outside Niles' room this time around, they are all waiting in the waiting room. Daphne is sitting with her face buried in her hands, Martin is as usual, acting like nothing is wrong as he sits and reads a magazine, Frasier is pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets, Charlotte and Roz are sitting with Daphne, trying to comfort her in case she breaks down crying, Ronee is sitting in the chair with her eyes closed, her fingers massaging her temples. David has taken his sisters to get something to eat in the cafeteria. David is really the only one who is fully aware of what is going on. He plans on telling the girls when they sit down for breakfast, Daphne asked him if he would be the one to tell them and he agreed.

After what seems like an eternity the doctor finally comes to them with the test results. Frasier is the first one to see him as he gets everyone's attention.

Daphne is the first one on her feet as the doctor speaks.

"Hello everyone, I'm so sorry it took so long to get the test results. We just wanted to make absolutely sure the results were accurate before we told you."

Daphne is the one to answer.

"It's fine, doctor. We understand you wanted to be sure. So what are the results? What's wrong with my husband?"

"Well Mrs. Crane, I'm afraid it's not good. When we ran the last set of tests and told you that the tumor was in a good location to be removed through surgery, that is still true, but unfortunately the tumor was bigger than we thought."  
>"What are you saying, doctor?"<p>

"I'm afraid that the tumor is deep and it is pressing against the optic nerve, causing the blindness."

Daphne lets out a big gasp as she breaks down crying_._ Roz grabs Daphne to comfort her. Charlotte places her hand on Daphne's back to help comfort her as well.

The doctor looks at them for a few moments and then breaks the silence.

"I can go take you to see Dr. Crane now, so you can give him the news. He is going to surgery soon so please keep it brief."

Frasier acknowledges the doctor.

"Yes thank you, doctor." he says as he follows the doctor, the others not far behind. Before long, they reach Niles' room. He is sitting up; awake, his unseeing eyes staring straight ahead. They all stand in the doorway, looking at him. Daphne gains her composure as she wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She enters the room and approaches Niles' bed. She just stands there for a moment and looks at him, her eyes welling up with tears once again, threatening to fall down her cheeks. She is able to stop herself from crying as she opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say anything, Niles speaks.

"Well are you just going to stand there, or are you going to give me a hug?"

Daphne looks at Niles with her mouth hanging open, with a shocked look on her face. She is speechless for a moment and then finally speaks.

"How did you know I was standing next to you?"

Niles reaches out for Daphne's hand and she grabs it. He finally answers.

"After all these years, you still ask me that? Your scent gives you away, Daphne. Nobody else smells the way you do, like cherry bark and almonds."

Daphne looks at Niles a bit embarrassed.

"Oh." is her reply.

"Well I'm still waiting for that hug."

"Sorry, darling." Daphne replies as she leans over and wraps Niles in a fierce hug.

"It feels so good to hold you in my arms, Daphne."

"I feel the same way,Niles." Daphne says as she starts to choke up.

Daphne pulls out of the hug and stands up.

"Niles, I brought some company to see you; Frasier, Charlotte, Roz, your dad and Ronee."

Niles smiles.

"That's great. Where are the children?"

Daphne is the one to answer.

"David and the girls are getting something to eat in the cafeteria, they will be along shortly."

Niles nods.

"I have something to tell you, Niles. This isn't easy for me to say, that's why the others came along with me, just in case I have any trouble trying to tell you what I'm about to tell you."

"What is it, darling?"

"Well you know you lost your sight yesterday at the party."

Niles nods waiting for Daphne to continue.

"The doctor told us the reason why just a little while ago."

"Yes, and?"

"The tumor is worse than they thought, it's still operable but since it's so large, it's pressing on the optic nerve. That is why you went blind."

"I see, did the doctor say if I would get my sight back after the tumor was removed?"

"He didn't say but I'm sure once it's removed it will no longer be pressing on the optic nerve, and then you should be able to see again."

"But you don't know that for sure?"

"No dear, I don't. I'm sorry."

Niles buries his face in his hands and begins to cry. Daphne does her best to comfort him. The others just watch with tears in their eyes and they do their best to comfort one another.

Meanwhile...

David and the girls are sitting at a table in the cafeteria, quietly. David is drinking a glass of juice while Emily drinks her milk and Ashling eats her cereal.

Ashling breaks the silence by dropping her spoon in her bowl with a clinking sound.

David and Emily look up.

"Ashling is something wrong?" Emily asks her sister.

"Yeah, why are we here instead of with mummy, Grandpa Martin and Grammy Ronee?"

Emily is curious too as she looks over at her brother.

David notices his sisters looking at him intensely.

He stops drinking his juice and sets his glass on the table. He swallows the liquid in his mouth before he speaks.

"What? Why are you two staring at me like that?"

"Ashling wants to know what we are doing sitting here when we should be with mummy, Grandpa Martin and Grammy Ronee."

"I figured you would eventually ask."  
>"Well?" Emily asks impatiently.<p>

David takes a deep breath before he begins speaking.

"As you both know, dad has a brain tumor and he is going into surgery today."

Emily and Ashling nod.

"Yes, we know that David." Emily says with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Well yesterday at the party, you know dad collapsed on the floor and we had to rush him here."

The girls nod once again.

"It turns out that dad went blind, he lost his sight. Mum, grandpa and grandma are supposed to be finding out today what's causing the blindness."

"So you brought us here to spare us, you didn't want us to hear the news from the doctor."

"No that's not it at all, Emily. Mum asked me to tell you about dad's blindness and then she would fill you in on the test results later."

Ashling is quiet for a few moments and then she finally speaks, in a voice that's barely audible.

"Daddy's blind?"

"Yes he is, Ashling." David replies.

"That means he can't see. Right, Davey?"

"Yes that's right, sis."

"But I thought daddy was doing better? He woke up from his coma, he was able to come home. What happened?"  
>"We don't really know, Ashling. Sometimes this happens with brain tumors, that is why dad is having the surgery because the longer he waits the worse it will be for him."<br>"What do you mean worse, Davey? Do you mean worse like he might die? Is daddy gonna die, Davey?"

"No, dad's not going to die. The surgery will keep that from happening."

"I don't believe you, Davey. You and mummy said that daddy was getting better, that he was going to be fine, but that was a lie! He went blind and now he might die! I will never believe anything you or mummy tell me ever again!" Ashling screams as she gets up and runs out of the cafeteria, crying.

David and Emily are left sitting there unsure of what to do. Emily suddenly breaks down crying as David gets up to comfort her.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A little while later...

It's getting close to time for Niles' surgery, and he told Daphne he wanted to speak to each of the children individually. Daphne takes this as her cue to find the children as she excuses herself. Frasier, Charlotte, Roz, Martin and Ronee stay to keep Niles occupied.

Daphne heads to the cafeteria first because that is where they are all supposed to be, she is surprised they aren't back yet. She is curious as to what is taking them so long. She thinks to herself as she heads to the cafeteria.

Meanwhile...

David is still comforting Emily as she cries into his chest as he holds her. Everything is finally catching up to her, this is the first time she has cried since her dad was brought in the first time. Since they are so caught up in their emotions, they forget about Ashling running off.

Daphne finally makes it to the cafeteria and spots two of her children. She sees David comforting Emily but doesn't see Ashling with them. She becomes worried as she approaches them.

"David, Emily."

David and Emily look up at the sound of their mother's voice. They see their mother standing there, and she doesn't look too pleased.

They both stand up. David is the first to speak.

"Mum, what are you doing here?"

"Your father wants to see you and asked me to come get you."

Emily wipes away her tears before she speaks.

"Is he going into surgery soon?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes he is."

"Well lets go see him, then." David replies as he starts to walk away.

"Hang on a minute, David." Daphne exclaims as she grabs David's arm.

David stops and looks at his mother.

"What is it mum?"  
>"Where is Ashling?"<p>

"She was upset and she ran off crying earlier." Emily explains to her mother.

"Why was she upset?"

"David told her about Daddy going blind, and she called you and David liars. She got up and ran out of here in a fit of tears. I'm sorry, mum."

Daphne gets a look of confusion on her face as she comforts Emily and looks over at David.

"David, why would your baby sister call you and I liars?"

"She said that she thought Dad was better, because he came out of his coma and came home. When I told her that he went blind, she thought that meant he was dying. I told her he wasn't because the surgery was going to make him better, but she didn't believe me."

Daphne shakes her head with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, dear. Well, let us go see your father, and then I will go look for Ashling."

David and Emily nod as they leave the cafeteria with their mother.

Meanwhile...

Ashling finally stopped running, and took the time to catch her breath. She looked around at her surroundings, and didn't recognize anything. She didn't realize she had run so far. She spots a couch, a couple of chairs, a table and a TV. It must be a small waiting room, so she decides to sit down and take a breather before she tries to find her way back.

She sits down on the couch and buries her face in her hands as she breaks down in tears once more. This part of the hospital is so quiet, it's like she's the only one here. Ashling continues to cry into her hands when suddenly the silence is broken by someone speaking loudly and angrily on their cell phone. Ashling looks up and sees a man walking briskly towards her, talking on a cell phone. He's wearing a suit and tie, just like her daddy wears and has a serious look on his face. He has dark curly hair and is kind of short and stout, and even though he wears a suit and tie, he looks nothing like her daddy. Her daddy is very handsome compared to this guy.

Before the man gets any closer Ashling grabs some tissue to wipe her eyes, she doesn't want him to see her crying or know that she has been crying. Once the man gets close enough, she can actually understand the words he is saying to the person on the other end.

"I told you last week, that he is my biggest client and I meant it! Now don't call me and threaten me again! Goodbye!"

The man takes the phone off his ear and punches a button with his finger. He sits down in the nearest chair without seeing Ashling at first. Ashling is kind of glad since she really doesn't want to see or talk to anyone right now. When she leans over to throw away her tissue in the trash, he spots her. He gets up and approaches her. Ashling looks up after throwing her tissue away and she is startled as she sees him standing there. He notices the scared look on her face and immediately apologizes.

"Sorry young lady, I didn't mean to startle you."

Ashling just looks at him and nods and then turns away from him. He can tell she is upset, so he sits down next to her and starts talking to her.

"Hello young lady, what is your name?"

Ashling doesn't look at him or answer him.

"I guess you're shy, huh? Your mother must have taught you never to talk to strangers."

Ashling nods.

"Well your mother is a smart woman, and she's right. But I can assure you that even though I'm a stranger, I have no intention of hurting you. I just happened to see that you were upset and I thought I might be able to help you feel better."

Ashling turns her head and looks at him as she shrugs her shoulders.

"What seems to be troubling you?"

Ashling looks down at her feet before answering.

"My daddy is dying of a brain tumor, he is having surgery today. My brother told me that Daddy would be okay after the surgery but I don't believe him."

"Why don't you believe him?"

"Because Daddy was doing better and he even came home but he went blind yesterday."

"Oh I'm so sorry, young lady. That's just terrible."

Ashling nods.

"Why are you here? You don't look sick."  
>"I'm not, my mother had a stroke and I'm here visiting her. She is doing better and the doctor said she may be able to go home in a few days."<p>

Ashling smiles for a moment.

"My name is Ashling Crane." she says as she extends her hand.

Before the man can extend his hand to her, he just looks at her for a moment, not saying a word.

"Sir? Are you okay?" Ashling asks, concerned.

Her voice seems to bring him back as he answers her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Did you say your last name was Crane?"

Ashling nods.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh my God, I don't believe it. I should have known from just looking at you. You look just like her." the man says as he stares in fascination.

"What are you talking about? I look just like who? Who are you?" Ashling asks with a skeptical look on her face.

"Is your mother's name Daphne?"

Ashling nods.

"Yes, why?"

"I knew it. I just knew it! My name is Donny, Donny Douglas." he says as he reaches out to shake her hand.

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Daphne, David and Emily make it to Niles room to join the others. Frasier is happy to see his niece and nephew. David was happy to see Grandpa Martin as they strike up a conversation. Emily strikes up a conversation with Roz and Charlotte as Ronee listens in on Martin and David's conversation. Frasier decides to keep his brother company. Now that Daphne knows everyone is occupied, she can excuse herself to go find her daughter.

As she leaves Niles' room, she begins checking every room as she goes along, just to make sure she doesn't miss anything in her search. She even stops at the nurses' station and asks if they have seen her daughter. This hospital is pretty good sized, so Ashling could be anywhere, but Daphne won't give up.

Meanwhile…

Ashling takes Donny's hand in hers and shakes it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Douglas. How do you know my mummy?"

"Well, many, many years ago, your dad was trying to get a divorce from his first wife. But she was being difficult and that is when your dad asked me to be his lawyer."

"You're a lawyer?"

Donny nods and smiles.

"Yes I am. Anyway your dad asked me to be his lawyer, and with me on his side, he won. In the process, I met your mother and we got engaged. What I didn't know at the time is that your dad was in love with your mother and she didn't know it."

"Mummy didn't know that daddy loved her?"

Donny shakes his head.

"Not at first, but your mother and father ran off together the day I was to marry your mother."

Ashling eyes get big as saucers as she looks at Donny.

"Wow."

"I will admit that I was pretty angry at both of them for what they did, but in the end it really was for the best. Your parents belonged together."

Ashling grins.

Daphne was getting ready to exhaust all efforts of finding her daughter. Just when she was about to give up she hears Ashling laugh. She turns to the sound of her laughter, and sees her daughter sitting with an oddly familiar man. Daphne's anger is quickly replaced with curiosity. She approaches them and as she gets closer to them, she realizes who Ashling is talking to. She can't believe it. She hasn't seen him in years. Daphne is speechless. She just stands there for a moment, watching her daughter and Donny interact. Suddenly, Ashling looks up and sees her mother standing there watching them.

"Hi mummy, look who I ran into."

Daphne looks away from her daughter and over at Donny. Donny smiles at Daphne for a moment before standing up and approaching her.

"Hi Daphne, it's good to see you."

"Hello Donny." Daphne says as she gives Donny a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

As they pull apart Daphne looks over at her daughter and smiles.

"I see you've met my daughter."

Donny smiles at Ashling.

"Yes, I have and I have to say that she is a delight, Daphne. She is a beautiful, intelligent girl. You and Niles have done a wonderful job."

Daphne gives Donny an embarrassing smile.

"Thank you." she replies as she approaches Ashling and puts her arm around her.

There is a bit of uncomfortable silence as they stand there looking at one another. Donny breaks the silence by speaking.

"I should probably get back to my mother, she is probably wondering where I am."

"Your mum is here in the hospital? What's the matter with her?"

"She had a stroke a few weeks ago, but she is doing much better and the doctors are saying she should be able to go home in a few days."

Daphne smiles.

"I'm glad. Give your mum my best wishes."

"I will, thank you, Daphne."

Daphne smiles as she starts leading Ashling away, then Donny stops them.

"Daphne, I hope Niles pulls through. I know how much you love him. Tell him that for me, okay?"

Daphne gets tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Donny. I will be sure to tell him."

Donny nods as turns on his heels and walks away.

Daphne stands there with Ashling for a few moments and watches him walk away. Ashling gets her attention.

"Mummy, are you okay?"

Daphne looks down at her daughter.

"Yes, I'm fine sweetie. Shall we go see your dad?"

Ashling pulls away from her mother and crosses her arms across her chest.

"No, I don't want to see daddy."

"Why don't you want to see your father, Ashling?"

"Because you and Davey lied to me, mummy. You said daddy was getting better but he's not. He can't see anymore and he's dying."

"That's true, sweetie but the surgery will save his life and he may even be able to see again. I would never, ever lie to you."

Ashling starts crying.

"Why did daddy have to get sick, mummy?"

Daphne gives her daughter a sympathetic look.

"I don't know, it's just one of those things that we have no control over. But, you know your daddy is the strongest person I know. He wouldn't leave you, me, or your brother and sister. He loves us too much. I can promise you that, sweetie."

"I love him so much, mummy."

"I know, I love him too."

Ashling wraps her arms around her mother's waist as they both cry together.

Meanwhile…

It's getting closer to time for Niles to go to surgery, so he asks Frasier to bring David to him. Frasier does as his brother asks. He excuses himself from his brother's side as he goes to get his nephew. As he approaches David, he sees him discussing sports with his grandfather. Frasier can't believe how different David is than his dad, Frasier knows what that's like, he and Niles not having a thing in common with their dad. Despite that, Niles and David love each other so much, David being his only son and being the first born. Even if Niles and David don't have the same interests, David looks just like him and has the biggest heart. Frasier is tremendously proud of the person David has become.

Frasier gets David's attention.

"David, your dad wants to see you."

David gives his uncle a look of surprise.

"Oh, okay. I'll talk to you soon, grandpa."

Martin smiles and nods as he pats his grandson on the back. David smiles at both his grandfather and uncle as he walks away.

David approaches his father and takes his hand.

"Dad its David, Uncle Frasier said you wanted to see me."  
>"Yes, hello son. I wanted to talk to you before they take me to surgery. This may be the last time we speak like this, and there are a few things I wanted to tell you."<p>

"Dad, you're going to be fine, please don't talk like that."

"David, you're a smart boy and you know there is a chance I may not make it out of surgery. I just want to be prepared for anything, you understand that?"

David nods.

"Yes dad, I understand."

Niles swallows before speaking.

"Son, I want you to take care of your mother and sisters for me, okay? Now your mother is a strong person but she will need you. She will need you for emotional support as well as your help with your sisters and help around the house. You will be the man of the house. Can you do that for me, son?"

David's eyes well up with tears.

"Yes, dad I can do that. You know I would do anything for you. I will take good care of mum, Emily and Ashling."

Niles nods as tears well up in his unseeing eyes.

"Thank you, son. I love you."

"I love you, dad."

David leans over and gives his dad the biggest hug as he starts to cry. Niles wraps his arms around his son as they hold each other and cry.

Daphne and Ashling finally make it to Niles' room. Everyone is so happy to see that Ashling is okay. Emily hugs her baby sister.

"I'm sorry that David and I upset you, Ashling."

Ashling looks at her sister.

"It's okay, Emily. I met a very nice man and he talked to me and helped me feel better."

"Oh who was the very nice man?"

"I think he said his name was Donny, Donny Douglas?"

The room is suddenly silent as they all stop talking and look at Ashling.

"Did you say Donny Douglas, Ashling?" Frasier asks.

Ashling looks at her uncle Frasier.

"Yes, he said he and mummy almost got married. He is a very nice man, but I'm still glad mummy married daddy instead."

Niles overhears the conversation and speaks up.

"You ran into Donny, Ashling?"

"Yes daddy."

Daphne can tell Niles is getting agitated so she approaches him and grabs his hand.

"Niles, it's okay. Donny was here visiting his mum, she had a stroke."

"Oh my God, is she okay?" Niles asks, concerned.

"Yes, he said she would be going home in a few days."

"Well that's good. I'm glad to hear that. "

Daphne nods.

"I never thought I would hear of Donny Douglas ever again, as a matter of fact, he is the last person I ever thought I would hear about."

"Why do you say that, Niles? He lives here in Seattle; we were bound to run into him sooner or later."

"Yes but I just find it strange that he would be in this same hospital, this isn't the only hospital in Seattle."

Daphne agrees.

"That's true, but don't worry about him, Niles. In fact he wanted me to let you know something."

"Oh what's that, darling?" Niles asks.

"He said that he knows how much you and I love each other, and he has accepted it. He also said that he hopes you pull through."

Niles is shocked.

"Donny said that?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes, he did."

"I'm glad you told me that, Daphne because I have the most wonderful idea. "

"What is that, honey?"

"I want you to call Donny and have him come to my room. I want to speak to him."

Daphne and a few others give Niles a look of shock and disbelief.

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13

**I just want to say how sorry I am that it has taken me so long to write another chapter. I didn't have a computer for awhile, then I had to get caught up on school, and then other personal issues got in the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I promise the next chapter will be coming much quicker. **

Chapter 13

Daphne is still trying to absorb what Niles said. She almost can't believe what he said to her. He wants to see Donny. Why would he want to see Donny of all people?

Niles notices the silence and says something.

"Daphne? Did you hear me?"

Niles' voice brings Daphne back as she answers him.

"Yes I heard you, Niles. Are you sure you want to see Donny?"

Niles nods.

"Yes, I'm sure. There is something I need to discuss with him and I want to do it before I go into surgery."

Daphne looks at Niles with a confused look on her face.

"Well, all right then. I will go find him and bring him here to see you."

Niles smiles.

"Thank you, Daphne."

Niles kisses Daphne's hand. Tears well up in Daphne's eyes as she pulls herself away to find Donny. She hopes he's still here with his mother.

As soon as Daphne leaves the room, Niles asks to see Emily.

Emily approaches her father's bed and grabs his hand.

"Hi daddy. It's Emily, you wanted to talk to me?"

Niles smiles as he kisses his daughter's hand.

"Yes, there are a few things I need to tell you before I go into surgery. Now you know that this may be the last time we speak to one another."

"Daddy, please don't say that. You are going to be fine."

"Emily you are a big girl now and you know how sick I am."

"Yes daddy, I do."

"Then I want you to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay, daddy."

"After I'm gone, your brother will be the man of the house. He is going to be there for your mother, and he's going to help take care of you and your sister. I want you to listen to him and help him take care of your mother and sister, okay?"

Emily starts to cry as the tears fall down her cheeks.

"Okay daddy."

"I knew I could count on you. I am so proud of you Emily, you are so much like your mom. I know you will grow up to be whatever you want to be. I love you so much, blue eyes. I never want you to forget that."

Niles kisses his daughter's hand.

"I won't, daddy. I will always love you."

Emily leans over to give her dad a kiss on the cheek.

"Could you have your sister come over here, please?"

"Sure daddy."

Emily leaves her father's side to find her sister.

Meanwhile...

Daphne finally reaches Mrs. Douglas' room, and peeks in. She sees Donny sitting next to his mother's bed holding her hand. She comes in the room and clears her throat. Donny looks up to see who it is. He gets a looks of shock when he sees who it is. He gets up from his chair like a shot and approaches Daphne.

"Daphne, what are you doing here? You should be with your husband."

"Actually, I'm here to get you. Niles asked to see you."

Donny gives Daphne a look of confusion.

"Niles asked to see me?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes."

"Did he say why?"

Daphne shakes her head.

"No, Ashling mentioned to her father that she had seen you and that's when he asked me to find you and bring you to him."

Donny looks confused.

"How strange."

Daphne agrees.

"Yes, it's very strange. But I told him I would bring you to him. We have to hurry because Niles will be going down to surgery soon."

Donny nods.

"Okay, I understand. Let me say goodbye to mother and I will be right there."

Daphne nods as she leaves the room to allow Donny and his mother a few moments alone.

Meanwhile...

Ashling is standing at her father's side waiting for him to speak to her. They had to call the nurse in because Niles passed out suddenly. They were all concerned for him, so they asked the nurse to come in and check on him. As the nurse checks on him, Niles wakes up.

"What happened? Who's there?"

The nurse looks at him as she answers.

"It's nurse Anne, Dr. Crane. You passed out suddenly and your family asked me to check on you."

Niles nods.

Ashling looks at the nurse.

"Is my daddy okay?"

"He's okay for now, but he's getting weaker. We can't wait much longer to take him to surgery. I will let the doctor know what is going on."

Ashling nods as the nurse leaves.

"Ashling?"

"I'm here, daddy." Ashling replies as she grabs her father's hand.

"My brown eyed girl." Niles says as he smiles and kisses her hand.

Ashling starts to cry as the tears fall down her cheeks. She doesn't let her father know she's crying so she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"Emily said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes that's right, I do."

"What is it, daddy?"

Niles grips Ashling's hand tighter.

"Now you may be the baby, Ashling but you are a big girl. You are very smart and mature for your age, so I know you will understand what I'm about to tell you."

"Yes, daddy?"

"I want you to help your brother and sister take care of your mother."

"But daddy, you are going to be okay. Mummy even said so, she wouldn't lie to me."

"No your mommy wouldn't lie to you, honey. She's not like that. She's a very honest person. I am saying this to you because anything could happen to me during surgery. I may not make it out."

Ashling begins to sob louder.

"Ashling, you have to be a big girl now, for me. I want you to help your brother and sister take care of your mother. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes daddy." Ashling says as she wipes the tears away with her free hand.

"They are going to need you. I want you to listen to David and Emily, help your mother out. I don't want you to stop dancing either. I know how much you love it. I want you to become a famous dancer on Broadway or wherever it may take you. I am so proud of you and I love you. Don't give up your dreams, okay?"

"Okay daddy. I will make you so proud of me. I love you so much." Ashling buries her face in her father's chest as she breaks down crying again. Everyone in the room just watches with tears in their eyes. This is so hard for everyone. They are all trying to be strong for Niles' sake, even though it's very hard.

Their attention is suddenly averted when they all turn their heads towards the door to see Daphne and Donny coming in. They all just look at Donny for a moment, almost disbelieving he's there.

Donny breaks the silence by waving.

"Hello, everyone."

As soon as Donny says that everyone stops staring and start greeting him. He's introduced to David, Emily, Ronee and Charlotte. Niles overhears.

"Donny, is that you?"

Donny stops what he is doing to answer him.

"Yes Niles, it's me."

Niles reaches out his hand for Donny to shake. Donny rushes over to Niles' bedside to grab Niles' hand.

"I'm glad you're here, Donny. There is something important I need to discuss with you."

The room becomes silent as Donny just looks at Niles with a look of shock and disbelief on his face.

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Donny is still reeling from what Niles told him. He looks at Niles, not saying a word. Donny remembers when he first met Niles all those years ago. Now here he is standing next to Niles' hospital bed for what may be the last time. Even though he has never been particularly close to Niles, he has always respected him. Seeing him lying in this hospital bed sick and weak, Donny can't help but feel a bit of sadness and remorse. After all this is the man that won Daphne's heart, something that Donny himself couldn't seem to do. A man like Niles doesn't deserve this, Daphne doesn't deserve this. It will be so hard for her to lose Niles, she loves him so much. Their kids will be heartbroken and lost without their father. Donny is willing to do whatever Niles wants of him, whatever it may be.

"Donny? Are you there?" Niles asks.

Niles voice breaks Donny from his thoughts.

"Yes Niles, I'm here."

Frasier takes it as a cue to have everyone leave the room so Niles and Donny can be alone to talk. Once they are alone Donny asks Niles what he wants to talk to him about.

"So Niles, what did you want to talk to me about? When Daphne came to get me, she told me it was very important that you speak to me."

Niles swallows before answering.

"Yes, it is very important."

"Okay, what is it?" Donny asks.

"As you can see I'm not doing too well. I'm very sick and weak, I heard the doctors and nurses talking about how I may not make it through surgery."  
>"Yes." Donny whispers.<p>

"Well, I was wondering if you could make sure my will is updated and complete. I want to make sure Daphne and the children get everything they deserve. I want them to be taken care of in case I don't make it out."  
>"I understand, Niles. I will take care of it. I will make sure your will is all up to date and complete. You can count on me. I will always care about Daphne, and I care about your kids."<br>"I know you do Donny, that's why I am about to ask you to do something that you will be shocked to hear."

"What is it, Niles?"

"If I don't make it out, I want you to take care of Daphne and the children. After a suitable amount of time has passed, I want you to marry Daphne and take care of our children."

Donny is shocked by Niles' request.

"Niles, are you sure?"

Niles nods.

"Yes, I am. I don't want Daphne to be alone, I don't want the children to be without a father figure in their life. I want you to marry Daphne and take care of my children. Can you do that for me, Donny?"

Donny just looks at Niles with a look of disbelief on his face. After a few moments, he finally answers.

"Yes Niles, I will marry Daphne and raise the children if that is what you really want. I will do anything you ask."

Niles grabs Donny's hand.

"Thank you, Donny. There is nobody else I would trust to take care of Daphne and the children."

Donny is speechless, he can't speak. The words just won't come.

Suddenly the silence is broken by a nurse and an orderly bringing in a gurney for Niles. It's time for him to go down to surgery. Donny steps out of the way to let them through.

"Donny could you please tell Daphne to come here?"

"Sure, Niles."

Donny leaves the room to find Daphne.

Meanwhile...

Daphne and the others are standing outside of Niles' hospital room waiting for Donny to come out. Once Donny comes out, he approaches Daphne.

"Daphne?"

Daphne turns and looks at Donny.

"Yes?"

"Your husband is asking to see you."

Daphne smiles.  
>"Of course, thank you, Donny."<p>

Donny just smiles and nods as he watches Daphne enter her husband's room.

Daphne approaches the gurney that Niles is laying on as she grabs his hand.

"Niles? Donny told me you wanted to see me?"  
>"Yes, I do. Daphne, I just wanted to tell you that I love you, and I will always love you. Please don't forget that, okay?"<p>

"I won't forget, and Niles, I love you too. I always will. I will be here when you get back, and so will the children. Your dad, Frasier, Roz, Ronee and Charlotte will be here as well. They all love you as well."

"Thank you for everything, my love. Thank you for marrying me and for our three beautiful children."

"No Niles, thank you."

As Daphne says this she leans over and gives Niles a big kiss.

"Okay it's time for us to take him down, Mrs. Crane."

Daphne stands up and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, of course."

The nurse and orderly start to push the gurney towards the door but Niles won't let go of Daphne's hand.

"Dr. Crane you have to let go of your wife's hand."

Niles let's go of Daphne's hand reluctantly as he drops it next to him on the gurney.

The nurse and orderly push the gurney out the door and pause for a moment so Niles' family can see him one more time.

"Good luck, Niles. We will all be here when you get back." Frasier says as he tries to keep from crying.

"Thank you." Niles says with a smile and a tear.

Charlotte wraps Frasier in a hug of comfort as they watch the nurse and orderly push Niles down the hall towards the operating room. Before long, they are out of sight.

The children begin to sob loudly. Ronee grabs her granddaughters and holds them as Roz grabs David. Even Donny wipes the tears from his eyes.

They all decide to go to the waiting room to sit down. It's going to be a long wait so they better get comfortable.

Donny excuses himself to check on his mother, but promises to come back as soon as he can. He still has to tell Daphne what Niles told him. He has no idea how she will take the news.

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it has taken me so long to get another chapter written. I ran into some major writer's block and couldn't think of a thing to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

Chapter 15

It has been two hours and everyone is still waiting on news of how Niles' surgery is progressing. Ashling has fallen asleep on the couch, David and Emily are both bored silly. Daphne just sits staring straight ahead. Martin and Ronee had to leave for a bit to check on the dog, they promised to be back as soon as possible. Frasier and Charlotte went to get everyone a bite to eat and Roz went to call Alice at college to let her know what is going on.

Donny finally makes his way back to the waiting room. His mother is resting comfortably, and knew she would be okay for awhile. He chose this time to speak to Daphne about what Niles told him. Once he makes his way back to the waiting room, he spots Daphne just sitting and staring straight ahead. What she must be going through right now, he can't even imagine it. He doesn't even want to think about it.

He approaches her and gets her attention.

"Daphne?"

She doesn't react at first, so he tries again.

"Daphne?" he says as he taps her shoulder.

That seems to do the trick as she looks up at Donny with a look of confusion on her face. It takes her a minute to recognize who she is looking at and where she is.

Donny puts his hand back on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Daphne?"

Daphne finally comes back to reality as she looks at Donny before answering him.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I must have been somewhere else."

"It's fine. I know you are thinking about Niles right now."

Daphne nods.

"Yes, I am. I can't stop thinking about him. I just want him to come out of surgery and be all right again."

"I know you do, Daphne. That's what we all want."

Daphne smiles at Donny.

"Thank you Donny."

Donny gives Daphne a look of confusion.

"Thanks for what?"

"For just being here, and being such a good friend."

"I would do anything for you, Daphne. I will always care for you and your family."

Daphne smiles.

"Would you like to go get a cup of coffee with me? There is something I would like to talk to you about."

Daphne nods.

"Sure, just let me tell the kids."

Daphne excuses herself to talk to David and Emily. Donny watches her with her two oldest children. She is such a good mother, but then he always knew that from the first moment he met her.

Daphne hugs David and Emily and then she joins Donny once again.

"I'm ready, let's go get those coffees."

Donny takes one last look at the children as he turns and follows Daphne.

Before long they find themselves at the coffee machine. Donny grabs two cups and hands one to Daphne. He puts the cup under the machine, puts the change in and pushes the button on his choice.

Before long a stream of coffee pours out of the machine and into the cup. Donny grabs his cup of steaming coffee from the machine. Now it's Daphne's turn. She begins to dig for change, but Donny stops her.

"Don't worry, I got this." he says as he puts the change in the machine.

Donny grabs the cup from Daphne and sticks it under the machine. Daphne pushes the button of her desired choice and the coffee streams from the machine and into the cup. Before long they both have their cups of coffee.

Daphne sits in the nearest chair as Donny sits down in the one next to her.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" Daphne asks.

Donny looks at Daphne for a moment before speaking.

"You know that Niles talked to me before he went into surgery."

Daphne nods.

"Yes."

"Well, he asked me that if he didn't make it out of surgery; or didn't survive, he wanted me to take care of you and the kids. After a suitable amount of time has passed, he wants me to marry you and raise the kids."

Daphne gets this look of disbelief on her face as she shakes her head. She stands up and takes a few steps away from the chair.

"Daphne?"

Donny gets up and follows her. He puts his hand on her shoulder.

Daphne moves away from his touch.

Donny puts his hand down to his side as he looks down at his feet.

Daphne sniffles.

This gets Donny's attention as he looks up. Daphne turns and looks at him, her eyes wet with tears.

Donny pulls a tissue out of his pocket and hands it to her. Daphne takes it and wipes her eyes and nose.

"I can't believe Niles would ask that of you. He had no right to do that without asking me first!"

"He wanted me to be the one to tell you, I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad at you, Donny. I'm mad at Niles-". Daphne stops in mid sentence.

"No, I'm not mad at Niles. I'm angry! I'm angry at the tumor, I'm angry at God, I'm just plain bloody angry! I hate this! I almost lost Niles once, right after we got married. It isn't fair that this is happening again!"

Daphne breaks down in tears again as Donny steps forward to console her. Her body is just racked with sobs. She can't stop crying. He just holds her and lets her cry.

Meanwhile...

Martin and Ronee finally make their way back to the hospital. On their way to the waiting room, they hear sobbing. They look to see who is crying and see Donny holding Daphne. They approach Donny and Daphne.

Martin automatically assumes the worst as he grabs Daphne and gets in her face.

"Is it Niles? Is he out of surgery? Did he die?"

Ronee pulls Martin off Daphne.

"Marty!"

Martin looks up at Ronee and then back at Daphne.

"Sorry, Daph. I just saw you crying and assumed the worst."

Daphne just shakes her head as she continues to cry. Donny is the one to answer.

"We haven't heard anything about Niles yet, Martin. I just told Daphne something that Niles asked me to tell her. She just broke down."

"Well what did you tell her?" Ronee asks.

"Niles asked me to take care of Daphne and the kids if he doesn't make it. He eventually wants me to marry her and raise the children."

Martin gets a look of shock on his face.

"Niles asked you to do that?"

Donny nods.

"Yes, Martin."

Daphne finally calms down enough to speak.

"Don't be angry at Donny, Martin. He was only doing what Niles asked him to do."

"What made you break down crying, besides Niles being in surgery?" Martin asks.

"I'm just angry about everything. I'm angry at the tumor in Niles' brain, I'm angry at God, I don't want to lose Niles and it's not fair that we're going through this again. This shouldn't be happening."

"You're right, Daph. It shouldn't be happening. We almost lost Niles once all those years ago. My Niles is a good kid and it's not fair that bad things keep happening to him. He lost his mother, I got shot, Maris divorced him, he almost lost you to Donny-". Martin stops for a moment and looks at Donny.

"Sorry, Donny."

Donny puts his hands up and nods.

"He then had to have bypass surgery, then David gets in an accident and almost dies and now this. Will it ever end?"

Ronee takes Martin in her arms and holds him.

The doctor was looking for them. He sees them and interrupts them.

"Mrs. Crane?"

Daphne looks up and sees the doctor. She walks over to him, almost tripping in her haste. They finally all reach the doctor as they look at him.

"So doctor, how is me husband?"

To be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

**I just wanted to say how sorry I am that it has taken so long to update. I don't have internet at home and I am working really hard on my online classes for college. I have been devoting most of my time to that but now that my workload has died down some, I will be updating more. Thanks for everyone's feedback and support, I really appreciate it. I haven't forgotten any of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter 16

Donny helps Daphne into the nearest chair to prepare for what the doctor has to tell her about Niles' surgery. Once she is settled in the chair, she poses the question to the doctor again.

"How is me husband, doctor?"

The doctor takes the nearest chair across from Daphne so he can look at her directly.

"Your husband made it through surgery just fine. We did run into some complications during surgery. We did almost lose him a couple of times but we were able to stabilize him."

Daphne breathes a sigh of relief.

"Now just because Dr. Crane made it through surgery, he is by no means out of the woods yet. Brain surgery is very delicate and complicated. Your husband has a long and grueling recovery ahead of him. He may have some problems once he wakes up."

"What kind of problems, doctor?" Daphne asks, concerned.

"He may have some trouble with his motor skills and may have to learn to walk all over again; he may even need to learn how to talk again as well. As you know he lost his sight before the surgery and there is no guarantee his sight is restored. "

Daphne nods as she wipes the fresh tears from her eyes. Donny grabs her hand to reassure her.

"We were able to remove the tumor, Mrs. Crane. That was the main purpose of the surgery, so whatever complications he may have after he wakes are normal and expected. Your husband is alive and has his family and friends around him, so I don't see why he won't make a speedy recovery."

Daphne nods as she stands. Donny and the doctor join her.

"Thank you so much, doctor." Daphne says as she shakes the doctor's hand.

"Of course Mrs. Crane, I need to get back to the OR. We will have your husband in recovery in about 15 minutes if you want to see him. You are welcome to bring everyone in to see him, but make it brief because he needs his rest."

Daphne nods.

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

The doctor excuses himself as he heads back to the OR. Daphne sits back down in the chair as she pulls herself together. She tries to digest everything the doctor just told her. She needs a few minutes to gather her thoughts before she tells the children and the family.

Donny notices Daphne's silence and speaks up.

"Daphne, do you need me to bring the family here so you can speak to them? It will allow you a few moments alone to gather your thoughts."

Daphne looks up and over at Donny.

"Yes, that would be just fine Donny. Thank you."

Donny nods.

"Sure, I will be right back."

Donny excuses himself to give Daphne some time alone and to get the others.

Once Donny leaves Daphne buries her face in her hands and cries her heart out. She cries until there are no more tears left.

Meanwhile…

Donny finds his way back to the waiting room and spots everyone. He sees that Martin, Ronee, Charlotte, Frasier and Roz finally made it back. The kids were stuffing their faces with food as the rest of them were talking. At first they don't see Donny approach until he gets closer to them.

Ashling is the one to spot him as she stands up and approaches him, still chewing her bite of food.

"Donny, where is mummy? Why didn't she come back with you?"

"Actually she asked me to come and get all of you; she is waiting over by the coffee machine. Grab your things and I will take you to her. She has news about your father and wants to tell you what the doctor told her."

David speaks up as he gathers his things together.

"You mean she knows how dad is?"

Donny nods.

"Yes, David."

"Well how is he? Is he out of surgery? Is he okay?" David asks as he steps up next to Donny and walks beside him.

"I would rather your mom tell you. I think she would prefer to tell you herself anyway."

David nods as he walks in silence.

Emily hasn't said a single word since Donny came to get everyone. She walks with her head down, her blond hair covering part of her face. She carries her things as her jacket drags on the floor behind her. Nobody thinks to tell her to pick it up and carry it properly. Everyone is too concerned about Niles to think about anything else.

Martin and Ronee talk amongst themselves as Frasier and Charlotte walk together as they lean on one another. Roz walks quietly next to everyone as David and Ashling are on each side of Donny. They finally reach Daphne and see her sitting in the chair sipping her coffee. She has wiped the tears from her face and the only evidence of her crying is her red, puffy cheeks. She doesn't want anyone to see her crying; especially her children. She wants to be strong for them; she needs to be strong for them.

Donny approaches Daphne.

"Hello, Daphne. I'm back and I brought everyone with me. They are anxious to hear about Niles. I didn't tell them anything; I wanted to leave that to you."

Daphne smiles and stands up.

"Thank you, Donny."

Donny nods as he steps aside to allow Daphne to speak to her family. Martin hobbles over to Daphne and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"So how is Niles, Daph?" he asks.

"Well the doctor said that Niles made it through surgery. They almost lost him a couple of times but were able to stabilize him. So he is still with us. The doctor said that they were able to remove the entire tumor which is good, but there may be some complications when he wakes up."

"What kind of complications, Daphne?" Frasier asks.

"The doctor said that Niles may have to learn how to walk and talk again and that there is no guarantee that his eyesight is restored. He also said that even though Niles has a long and tough road to recovery ahead of him, he has all of us by his side to help him get through. With all of our love and support, Niles should recover fully."

Everyone lets out the breaths they were holding as they all take turns hugging Daphne. Daphne holds her children a bit longer than she holds everyone else; she wants them to know how important they are to her. She wants them to know that she loves them and that they are in this together, no matter what. There isn't anything she wouldn't do for her children, they mean the world to her and if for some reason, Niles doesn't wake up, they need her as much as she needs them.

Everyone is caught up in what they are doing that they almost don't hear the nurse trying to get their attention. They all turn their attention towards her when she clears her throat.

"Mrs. Crane, your husband is in recovery now and you and your family are welcome to come and see him now. I ask that you make it brief. I will show you to his room."

They all follow the nurse to Niles' room. They walk silently, like they are prisoners on their way to death row. They finally make it to Niles' room.

"Here is Dr. Crane's room. I will be back in a bit to check on him."

Martin is the one to answer.

"Thank you, nurse."

The nurse excuses herself as Daphne looks in the window of the door. She sees Niles lying on the bed. He has a tube in his mouth and a bandage wrapped around his entire head. Her breath catches in her throat as her hand goes to her chest. She tries to slow her breathing down and compose herself. She needs to be strong for everyone, especially her children. It's breaking her heart seeing Niles like this. Donny notices Daphne holding her chest. He approaches her.

"Daphne, are you okay?" Donny asks as she places a hand on her shoulder.

Daphne takes a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, I will be okay in a moment. It's just really hard seeing Niles look the way he does."

Donny pulls Daphne into a hug.

Emily sees Donny hugging her mother and it angers her. She isn't happy that this Donny guy is trying to take her dad's place and that her mother is pretty much letting him. She will say something to her mother about it later. If looks could kill, Donny and Daphne would be dead. Emily's eyes are like daggers as she looks at them. Her eyes are full of fire. They are both unaware that Emily is looking at them.

"Yes I know it is, Daphne. It's hard for all of us. But we are all here for each other and we will get through this together."

"Thanks, Donny."

They pull out of the hug as Daphne grabs the knob, turns it and pushes the door open. She enters the room and hears the beeping of the heart monitor and hears the sound of the ventilator pushing air into Niles' lungs. It's almost too much for her to take as she finds herself becoming dizzy. Suddenly the room gets blurry as Daphne feels her knees give way underneath her. Then everything goes black…

To be continued…


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is going to start out as a series of dream sequences that Daphne and Niles are both having at the same time from different moments in their life. The first few are directly from the show, the others are ones that made up or wrote from previous story. I didn't want you to be confused when you are reading it, so I figured I would it explain what was going on so you can understand. I hope you like it. Enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter 17

_"Daphne, this is my brother Niles."_

_Niles glances at Daphne who is at the kitchen table folding laundry and then does a double take. He stares at her for a moment. Daphne nods and smiles._

"_You're Daphne?"_

"_Why yes I am."_

_Niles walks towards her with his arm outstretched for a handshake. _

_They shake hands._

"_When Frasier told me he hired an Englishwoman, I pictured someone a little more…not quite so-."_

_Niles looks her up and down. _

"_You're Daphne?"_

_Daphne smiles and shakes his hand._

"_It's nice to meet you."_

"_What a lovely accent. Is that Manchester?"_

"_Yes, how'd you know?"_

"_Well I'm quite the anglophile. I'm sure Frasier and Dad have already told you."_

"_No they didn't mention it."_

"_Oh, well you undoubtedly guessed as much when they said I spent a year studying at Cambridge."_

"_No, they didn't mention that either."_

"_Guess my father and brother don't spend a lot of time talking about me when I'm not around."_

"_I wouldn't say that."_

_It's the night before Daphne's wedding to Donny. Niles and Daphne are in the hotel room alone. _

"_Anyway, I was just talking to Frasier about a conversation you two had."_

"_Oh dear."_

"_No, no, don't get upset."_

"_I specifically asked him not to say anything, what was he thinking!"_

"_No, I'm glad he told me."_

"_Oh, yes. So we can have a big talk about it. That's what you psychiatrist always do—drag everything out in the open so we can work through it no matter how awkward it might be. Well, I just don't see the point!"_

"_Daphne, I'm glad he told me because I love you."_

_Daphne gives Niles a look of complete shock._

_The same conversation a bit later…_

"_Dr. Crane, you shouldn't say such things."_

"_It's the truth. Lord knows, I have tried to deny it, tried to pretend that I'm over you, but not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you—your smile, your beautiful eyes, what it would be like to hold your hands and ask you the question I never dared ask…"_

_After a brief interruption, they continue their conversation…_

"_I don't understand. How come you never said anything before?"_

"_Daphne, I wanted to. I just…the timing never seemed right."_

"_Oh and the timing's right now? I'm 12 hours from the altar, and you're on your honeymoon."_

"_I never would have gotten married if I thought there was the slightest chance that you shared my feelings. Trust me, Daphne, say the word and I will leave Mel in a heartbeat."_

_They are once again interrupted this time by Mel, Niles' wife at the time. After that, they continue their conversation. _

"_Daphne, it's not too late for us. I meant what I said when I said I would leave her. "_

"_That's crazy."_

"_No, no, it's not crazy if you feel the same way I do. But, I need you to tell me, and I can accept it if the answer is no… how do you feel about me?"_

_A bit later on the balcony…_

"_I'm sorry about all that."_

"_I must be in love. It doesn't bother me that you come with them."_

_Daphne is a bit uncomfortable as she is quiet while Niles speaks, trying to break the tension between them._

"_Lovely night, isn't it?"_

"_Hmm."_

"_Stars are out. There's a nice breeze."_

_Niles breathes in the sweet air of the outdoors._

"_Hmm? Night blooming jasmine, and of course there's the beautiful girl."_

"_Dr. Crane, I still haven't answered your question."_

"_Yes, I know that's why I keep talking. In case I don't get the answer I want, I can at least make this moment last a little longer."_

_There is an uncomfortable silence as Niles speaks again._

"_I'm not sure if it's jasmine or orange blossoms. You know a lot of times…"_

"_Oh for God sakes, Dr. Crane!" _

_Daphne plants a kiss on Niles' mouth that lasts for a few moments and then…_

"_I think you can call me Niles now."_

_Daphne gives him a sultry look as she kisses him again…_

_The next day Niles is sitting by himself in his father's Winnebago. Daphne rejected him the night before, so he can't attend the wedding. After a visit from Martin and Frasier, Niles gets an unexpected visitor…_

_(Knocking)_

"_Come in."_

_Daphne steps into the Winnebago in her wedding dress._

"_Hello."_

_Niles stands up._

"_Daphne."_

"_I was wondering if you might be free for a date."_

_Niles runs into Daphne's arms._

"_Oh, my God, yes!"_

"_There's plenty of time for that later. Let's get this bloody boat moving!"_

"_What…you mean now?"_

"_There's about a hundred people back there I'm not so keen on seeing."_

"_Oh all right. Let's go then. Fasten your seat belt, Daphne."_

"_Fasten yours, Niles."_

_They then drive away together._

_Daphne comes back from "fat camp" and she and Niles fight about who is to blame for her weight gain. They are trying to work things out. It starts out as a fight but leads to something more…their first time._

"_I'm so sorry! I love you so much! I didn't mean any of those things."_

"_Oh, yes, you did. And I did too. You're a pretentious snob with your wine and your opera."_

"_Well, you never gave opera a chance! You're too judgmental!"_

"_And you're a clean freak!"_

"_Well I hate your unicorn collection!"_

"_And I hate that your closet is bigger than mine!"_

"_Well, you're too tall!"_

"_You're too short…"_

"_Well…"_

_Then they begin kissing passionately and find themselves knocking things off tables and shelves to get at one another._

"_Oh, oh, oh, Daphne!"_

"_Oh, Niles!"_

_Daphne is sick with the flu but that doesn't stop Niles from proposing…_

"_You are simply the most adorable creature I have ever seen on this earth."_

"_Oh, I'm sure."_

_No, I mean it. From your beautiful toes…all the way up to your crusty nose… there's not an inch of you that I don't adore."_

_They kiss._

"_You know it's funny."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_You could take a million years to plan the perfect evening, and you would…you'd never come up with this. Daphne, I have to ask you a question."_

"_Hold on."_

_Daphne blows her nose._

"_You were saying?"_

"_Daphne Moon, will you, and your beautiful toes…and your exquisite ankles…and your precious knees…elbows and arms and…fingers and shoulders…Will you marry me?"_

_Daphne is shocked by his proposal as tears form in her eyes. She wraps Niles in a hug._

"_Oh, Niles, of course I will!"_

_After they pull out of the hug, Niles puts the ring on her finger._

_Niles tries to reunite Daphne's parents, but to no avail. That gesture makes Daphne want to marry Niles right away instead of having the big wedding they both wanted. So they elope to Reno and get married!_

"_I Daphne Moon do take thee Niles Crane as my husband. I promise you my fidelity and my support…my laughter and my tears…my constant friendship and my unending love as long as we both shall live."_

"_I Niles Crane do take thee Daphne Moon, as my wife. I vow to you my fidelity and my support…my honor and my respect…my honesty and my protection. You are my comfort, my joy, and my one true love. I will cherish you all the days of my life and treasure the journey that has brought us to this most wonderful, perfect place."_

_After they realize they had forgotten their rings, the justice of the peace sells them some. Roz calls Daphne and she tells Roz she's getting married. They then exchange rings._

"_By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, the county of Washoe, and the all-new Lucky Seven Resort and Casino, I now pronounce you husband and wife."_

_The Justice of the Peace turns on some wedding bell music and leaves._

"_He never said you may kiss the bride."_

"_You may kiss the bride."_

_They share their first kiss as husband and wife._

_Martin and Ronee are getting married but Eddie accidentally swallows one of the wedding rings. Niles and Daphne take him to the vet's office to have the ring removed. While there Daphne goes into labor and gives birth to their first born, a son they name David. _

_Daphne is holding baby David in her arms as Niles looks on. They are both very proud parents._

"_Isn't he perfect, Dad?"_

"_He certainly is, Mom. He's got your eyes and my chin."_

_David has a chunk of Daphne's hair in his little fist._

"_He's got my hair."_

"_You think so?"  
>"No, he's got my hair. Let go dear."<em>

_Daphne gently pulls her hair out of the baby's grip._

_It's time for Daphne to go to the hospital. She's in labor with her and Niles' second child. Martin and Ronee happen to be visiting at the time. They rush Daphne to the hospital with David who is four by this time. Niles meets them there so he can be by Daphne's side to see his child come into the world. After four hours of grueling labor Niles and Daphne welcome their second child, a daughter they name Emily Anne into the world._

_Daphne is holding Emily against her chest as caresses her cheek with her finger. Daphne's eyes well up with tears. She just can't believe she is holding her and Niles' brand new baby daughter. _

_Niles leans over to look at his perfect baby girl. He is filled with so much love for both of them, it's overwhelming. He felt just like this when he saw David for the first time._

"_She is just perfect, Mom."_

"_She is perfect isn't she, Dad?"_

"_Yes she is, she's just as beautiful as you. You look more beautiful at this very moment than I have ever seen you."_

"_Yes, I'm sure. I must look a fright being all sweaty and me hair all nasty looking."  
>"No, Daphne, you look stunning."<em>

_Tears well up in Daphne's eyes as Niles leans in to give her a kiss. Emily gurgles. Niles pulls out of the kiss and gives his daughter a kiss on the cheek._

"_Are you guys up for some company?" Ronee asks. _

_Niles and Daphne turn their attention to Martin and Ronee with David in tow. Roz and Alice aren't far behind. _

_Niles and Daphne smile._

"_Sure come on in. There is someone we want you to meet." Niles tells them._

_They all come in the room and approach the bed. Niles steps aside so they can all get a good look at the baby. Niles picks up his son to help him get a better look._

_Daphne speaks up._

"_We want to introduce you to our daughter, Emily Anne Crane." _

_Daphne is at home with David whom is seven and Emily who is now three. It has been a very stressful day for her, neither of the kids doing as she asks and being nine months pregnant. She tries to take a nap as she suddenly goes into labor. She has David call Martin and Ronee to come over to watch him and Emily. Roz shows up to take Daphne to the hospital, Niles is there to greet them. _

_After four hours of difficult labor, Niles and Daphne welcome their third child into the world, a daughter they name Ashling Hester. _

_"Niles, we have a baby girl!"_

_Niles cuts the umbilical cord with tears in his eyes._

_He finally joins his wife and gives her a big hug._

_"I know darling. She is beautiful. I just love you."_

_"I love you, Niles."_

_They share a sweet kiss as the doctor hands them the baby, which is now nice and clean._

_"Here is your baby girl."_

_Daphne takes the baby from the doctor and looks at her with tears in her eyes._

_"Hi honey. We have been waiting for you."_

_Daphne kisses the baby's forehead._

_Niles can't keep the tears at bay as he looks at his new baby daughter._

_He leans over and kisses the baby's cheek._

_The baby scrunches her face up._

_"Daphne, she has your dark hair and she has my nose."_

_They admire the baby for a few minutes and then Ronee ushers in David and Emily._

_Niles picks up Emily to give her a better look as David leans over the side of the bed._

_"There's your new baby sister. What do you think of her?" Niles asks his daughter._

_"She look funny, she look like my dollies."_

_"She's not a doll Emily, she's real. Do you like her?"_

_Emily shrugs her shoulders._

_"I guess."_

_Emily doesn't really know what to think yet._

_"What do you think of your baby sister, David?" Daphne asks her son._

_"She looks like a baby. I agree with Emily, she's funny lookin'."_

_Daphne grabs David's arm._

_"David, she was just born, she's only a few minutes old."_

_"Did I look like that when I was born?"_

_Niles and Daphne look at each other and smile._

_"Yes, you did. But we thought you were beautiful."_

_David rolls his eyes._

_"Gross."_

_"I want to get a picture of all of you together." Ronee tells them._

_"Ronee, I look terrible. I'm all sweaty and me hair is wet and stringy."_

_"You just had a baby, Daphne. You look beautiful."_

_Ronee has them pose as she takes the picture._

Daphne shoots up in bed. The sweat is pouring from her body. She opens her eyes. Everything is blurry at first. She blinks a few more times until she can see clearly. She gets a confused look on her face.

Daphne looks around the room with that same confused look on her face. It takes her a minute to come to her senses and realize where she is.

Frasier approaches her bed and looks at her.

"Welcome back, Daphne. How do you feel?" he asks.

She looks at Frasier, confused for a moment.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"You fainted earlier. You were brought in here. We were so concerned about you, you were asleep for so long."

Daphne has a sudden urge to see Niles. She can't shake the feelings she's having.

_What was the dream I just had? What's going on? Sometimes I hate being psychic. _She thinks to herself.

"I don't know why that happened. I'm so sorry for worrying all of you. I'm really okay now, I want to go see me husband. I want to see Niles." Daphne says as she starts to get out of bed.

Frasier stops her.

"Not just yet, Daphne. Have you eaten anything today?"

Daphne sits there thinking for a moment. So much has happened since she brought Niles in the night before; she can't remember when she ate last. She can't even remember when she slept last.

"I can't remember if I have eaten anything today. I've been so worried about Niles, I haven't really thought about anything else."

"Well Charlotte and I are going to get you something to eat. All the food we brought earlier is gone."

"You don't have to do that Frasier, I'm fine, really."

"Daphne, you need to eat to keep up your strength. We have Niles sick here in the hospital, we don't want you to have to join him."

"Well all right then. But I'm going to go be with Niles."

"That's fine. We will be back in a bit with something to eat for you okay?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes."

Frasier and Charlotte leave to get Daphne some food.

She gets up out of bed slowly as she is a bit groggy.

"I must have really been tired. That's never happened before."

"You had us all worried, Daphne." Roz says as she joins her.

As Daphne gets up to walk to Niles' room she notices Donny is missing. She looks around.

"Where's Donny?"

"Oh he went to go be with his mom. She is going home tomorrow. He said he would be back later."

Daphne nods.

They finally make it to Niles' room. Daphne turns the knob and opens the door. She enters the room and sees Niles lying there just like before. She gets closer to the bed and gets a better look at him. She begins to choke up as her hand goes to her mouth. Niles eyes are bruised and his face is swollen. He doesn't even look like Niles, or at least the Niles she knows and loves. She can feel the burn in the back of her throat and she feels the tears in her eyes. She feels them fall down her cheeks and before long she can't stop them from coming. She falls to her knees and cries into her hands.

She cried when Niles had his heart surgery, she was so scared of losing him then and couldn't imagine living without him. She cried when David was hurt and had brain surgery, she couldn't imagine her life without her son in it. Now she is crying because she feels Niles slipping through her fingers, she feels him slipping away from her and there is nothing she can do. She suddenly remembers the dream she had. She looks up, the tears still wet on her face. The dream is so vivid to her now, the dream was about she and Niles and all the most important events in their lives. It was like the dream was trying to tell her something. She stands up and approaches Niles' bed. She takes his hand in hers. It's so cold, like ice. She holds it up to her cheek.

A fresh set of tears fall down her cheeks as she looks down at Niles sleeping.

"I love you Niles Crane. I never knew what love was until I met you. You have changed my life so much; I don't know what I would do without you. I don't know how I made it without you before I met you. You make me whole, you complete me. If you don't make it, a part of me will die along with you. I have the children of course, and they keep me strong, but I don't think I can raise them without you. You are a wonderful father and the most amazing man. You have so much to live for Niles, and I want you to fight to stay with us, okay? We aren't ready to say goodbye to you yet. Promise me you will fight and pull through this for all of us. I remember when David was in the hospital after his surgery and how the doctors told us to talk to him; well I'm doing the same thing with you Niles until you wake up. I'm not giving up on you, none of us are."

Daphne stands up with her hand still holding Niles'. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek. She is interrupted by Roz touching her shoulder.

"Daphne."

Daphne stands up and turns to face Roz as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.

"Hello, Roz."

"I just wanted to let you know that Martin and Ronee took the kids home to get some sleep. They have school tomorrow."

Daphne places her hand over Roz's.

"Thank you for letting me know. I haven't been much of a mother lately, have I?"

"Its okay, Daphne. You are dealing with so much now and so are the kids. They have so many people around them that love them. They are in good hands."

Daphne smiles.

"Yes they are. I am so grateful to have Martin and Ronee around. I know Frasier isn't around as often as he used to since he lives in Chicago now, but it's nice that he comes to visit so often."  
>Roz agrees.<p>

"Yes Frasier has changed so much ever since he met Charlotte. It's almost like he's a completely different person."  
>Daphne nods.<p>

"Yes, that's true. I don't know what I would do without you either, Roz. We have come such a long way, haven't we?"

"Yes we have. I never imagined when we first met that we would be such good friends. But I'm glad we are."

"So am I."

They smile at one another for a moment then Roz leaves the room to let Daphne be alone with Niles. She decides to go home and get a bit of rest herself. It's so hard to go home to an empty house, since Alice is away at college it gets very lonely.

Frasier and Charlotte finally make it back with some food for Daphne. They find her in Niles' room. She finds a chair and sits down to eat while Frasier and Charlotte keep her company. They are both planning on staying in Seattle for a while. They both took leaves of absence from their jobs in Chicago so they could be here for Niles and the family. After all this is more important than anything else right now.

Daphne finishes her food as she goes back to join her husband. She moves the chair next to his bed. She takes his hand in hers as she finds herself falling asleep once more.

Frasier and Charlotte leave to get some sleep themselves.

But Daphne's sleep is anything but restful…

To be continued…


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Daphne continues to sleep as she holds Niles' hand. The hospital is eerily quiet. The only sounds are the beeping of the heart monitor and the ventilator pumping air into Niles' lungs. There is nothing going on this late at night, not even in the busiest hospital in Seattle.

_A rush of cool air wakes Daphne from her deep sleep. She opens her eyes and lifts her head up. She takes a moment to compose herself as she familiarizes herself with her surroundings. She looks over at her husband who is still comatose. She reaches her hand up and caresses his swollen cheek with her hand. A stray tear falls down her cheek. She feels the rush of cold air once again and looks around to see if there is a window open in the room. She gets up from her chair and checks all the windows in the room, but they are all closed. _

"_Where is the cold air coming from?" she asks herself. Suddenly Daphne feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around and sees a woman with dark hair which is blowing behind her. She is wearing a white gown which floats with the air against her pale skin. Daphne just stands there staring, not believing what she is seeing. She has to be dreaming, nothing like this happens in real life. _

_The woman opens her mouth to speak._

"_Hello Daphne."_

_Daphne's mouth gapes open before she can say anything. She finally manages to close it so she can speak._

"_Who are you and how do you know my name?"_

"_You don't recognize me do you, Daphne?"_

_Daphne shakes her head as she continues to stare with a shocked look on her face._

"_It's me, Hester, Frasier and Niles' mother." She says as she smiles._

_The tears well up in Daphne's eyes as she starts to cry. _

"_You're Hester?"_

_Hester nods._

"_What are you doing here? You have been gone for years." Daphne asks, still confused. _

"_Yes, it's true, I have been dead for many years but I have come here for a reason."_

_Daphne nods as she wipes her eyes. _

"_What have you come for?"_

"_I came to tell you that Niles is going to be okay. He will be in a coma for a while but he will wake up. He will come back to you and my beautiful grandchildren. You have made my son so happy, Daphne. I can't thank you enough for all you have done for him."_

"_Well, l love him and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him. I don't think I could go on if he didn't pull through. I can't live without him."_

"_I'm glad to hear you say that, Daphne because I have a confession to make."_

_Daphne gets a surprised look on her face._

"_What is that?" she asks._

"_I was the one that made it possible for you and Niles to meet. I brought you to Seattle to take care of my Martin; he needed someone like you to take care of him after I died. After he got shot, he became so angry and bitter. I wanted him to be happy again, so I found you and brought you to Seattle. Once you came into his life, I knew it was only a matter of time before my son would meet you and fall in love with you. You were just the kind of girl he needed in his life. Maris made him so unhappy and miserable, and I couldn't stand to see him that way anymore. It took him long enough to tell you how he felt about you, but I'm so glad he did. I'm also very glad that you fell in love with him as well."_

"_It was kind of hard not to. Niles is a very sweet, handsome, smart and caring man. There was something different in him than in any other man I had ever met, and deep down I knew that he was the one for me. It took me a long time to realize that. He has made me happier than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for bringing us together, Hester."_

"_Thank you for being such a good wife to him and making him so happy. That and that alone is what helps me rest in peace. Both my husband and son have found good women to take care of him. I always hoped Martin would find someone after I died, and I'm glad he found Ronee. She is just what he needs until he comes to be with me."_

"_Martin and your sons were right, you are an amazing woman. I can see where Frasier and Niles got it from and why Martin missed you so much. "_

"_Well it's time for me to go back now, Daphne. Just remember that Niles will pull through and come back to all of you and that he loves you and always will. Goodbye."_

_Hester disappears into thin air as Daphne stares at the spot where she was standing, still in shock. She still can't believe that Hester was standing in front of her just a few seconds ago, talking to her. It doesn't even seem real or that it even happened. Daphne goes back over to Niles' bedside and sits back down in the chair. She takes Niles' hand in hers, and notices that it's not as cold as ice anymore. She can actually feel the warmth in his hand now. She smiles as she pulls his hand up to her lips and kisses his fingers._

"_I love you Niles Crane and I will be with you every step of the way. I can't wait for you to wake up; I have so much to tell you. You won't believe it, darling."_

_Daphne looks at Niles bruised and swollen face for a few more moments as she lays her head back down and closes her eyes as sleep claims her once more. _

"Mrs. Crane?"

Daphne hears someone calling her name but it sounds like it's coming from inside a tunnel.

"Mrs. Crane?"

Daphne feels herself being lightly shaken as she opens her eyes and looks up into the face of one of Niles' nurses.

"Mrs. Crane, sorry to have to wake you but I need to do a checkup on your husband. I need to have you leave the room while I do so."

Daphne is still a bit groggy as she stands up and shakes the cobwebs from her brain.

"Sorry I must have been really tired. I usually am a lot easier to wake up."

"It's fine Mrs. Crane. Why don't you go and get some coffee and stretch your legs. I should be done by the time you get back."

"Sure, I will be back soon."

The nurse smiles and nods as she begins her task at hand, Daphne looks at her husband before she leaves the room. She closes the door behind her as she goes to find the coffee machine.

To be continued…


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Three weeks later…

Niles is still in a coma. Everyone has been going on about their lives while waiting for him to wake up. Donny has been there for Daphne and the family on a daily basis. Everyone is happy to have his support, everyone except Emily. Emily doesn't like the fact that Donny has come in and pretty much taken her father's place, and her mother is pretty much letting him.

Emily understands that her mother and Donny have a past and are good friends, but Donny isn't her father, and will never be her father. She has been trying to talk to her mother about it for some time but her mother is always at the hospital with her father or she's with Donny. It seems like she never has the time for her children anymore.

David has been the one to take care of them lately. He drives them to school, picks them up from school, takes Ashling to dance class, and makes sure they have dinner; all the while he has football practice and homework. It's a lot of responsibility for a 16 year old boy.

David is very responsible but he shouldn't have to take care of his sisters and himself. It's like their mother just expects him to do it without asking him to. Of course David does it without being asked because that's just who he is; his father taught him that, but he still shouldn't have to.

Emily just wants her dad to wake up. She misses him so much and just wants him back. Things just aren't the same without him.

Emily goes to see every day, hoping he wakes up. She will continue to do so until he does wake up. She remembers when she was told that talking to someone who is comatose will help them to wake up. She has been doing that every day as well. The sooner her dad wakes up, the better.

Emily wants to invite her friends over for the weekend. She hopes her mother says yes or even gives her the chance to ask her. It will be nice to pretty much have the house to herself since her mother will be at the hospital with her dad, Ashling will be at Grandpa Martin and Grammy Ronee's for the weekend and David will be in and out with his friends while checking on Emily periodically. Emily is going to ask her mother the first chance she gets.

Meanwhile…

Daphne is at home long enough to take a shower change and eat something other than hospital food. It is nice for her to be back home, albeit briefly. It would be better if Niles were here with her. She hasn't been able to sleep in her own bed since he's been in the hospital. She can't sleep in an empty bed. She can't sleep without Niles beside her. She can't wait until he wakes up, gets better and comes home.

She looks at the clock and realizes the kids will be home from school soon. She finishes eating and then hops in the shower. While Daphne is in the shower, the kids come home.

David is all psyched up over his plans for the weekend, Emily is anxious to speak to her mother about her sleepover, and Ashling is excited to be spending the weekend with her grandparents. She enjoys playing with Belle the dog, watching videos and practicing her dancing.

David heads straight for the kitchen for a snack, while Emily looks for her mother. She saw her car in the driveway, so she knows her mother is home. Ashling goes to her room to pack a bag for her weekend with her grandparents. Emily realizes her mother is taking a shower, so she goes her bedroom to wait for her. She decides to call her friends Katie and Sarah to let them know what's going on. Emily is so excited. It's been a long time since she's had a sleepover.

While she is on the phone with Katie; Katie tells her that her cousin is visiting from New York and wants to come to the sleepover as well. Emily loves the idea. After she gets off the phone with Katie, she calls Sarah and lets her know what is going on. While she talks to Sarah, Sarah tells her that the new boy in school really likes her. Emily is really shocked because no boy has ever shown any interest in her. Sarah suggests that they call him and invite him over during the sleepover.

Emily finishes her call and then goes to her mother's room to see if she's out of the shower. The bedroom door is locked, so Emily knocks.

"Who is it?" Daphne asks.

"It's Emily, mum. May I come in?"

"Sure, come on in." Daphne replies as she unlocks the door.

Emily turns the knob and opens the door. She enters the room and sees her mother getting dressed. Her mother has her hair wrapped up in a towel as she slides on a pair of jeans and a button up shirt. Emily almost forgets what she came in the room for as she watches her mother.

Once Daphne is dressed, she turns her attention to her daughter.

"What did you need, Emily?"

The sound of her mother's voice breaks Emily from her daydream as she looks at her mother. Daphne looks at her daughter waiting for her to answer.

Emily finally answers her mother.

"I was just wondering if it would be okay if I could have a sleepover this weekend since Ashling will be at Grandpa and Grammy Ronee's for the weekend."

Daphne thinks about what her daughter asked her as she pulls the towel off her head, her damp brown locks fall to her shoulders. She grabs her comb and begins combing her hair as Emily watches through the mirror.

Daphne finally finishes as she puts the comb on the dresser. She turns around and faces her daughter.

"Is there a football game at the middle school this weekend? Won't you need to be there to cheer?" Daphne asks.

Emily shakes her head.

"No, there isn't a game this weekend; not for the middle school or high school. That's why David will be hanging out with his friends the whole weekend."

"Well, then I guess its okay. I want to make sure David is around to keep an eye on you from time to time."

Emily grins from ear to ear as she runs to her mother and wraps her in a hug.

"Thank you so much, mummy!"

Daphne hugs her daughter back with a smile on her face.

"I want to let you know that even though David will be here to check on you, I will be calling periodically from the hospital to check on you as well."

Emily nods as they pull out of the hug.

"That's fine, mum."

Daphne looks at her daughter for a moment.

"Well sweetie, I have to finish getting dressed so I can get back to the hospital to be with your father."

"Okay, mum. Tell Daddy I love him."

Daphne nods.

"I will."

Emily starts to leave the room but she stops herself. She turns around and looks at her mother.

"Mum, are you taking your car to the hospital?"

Daphne looks up from what she is doing and looks at her daughter.

"No, David is taking his car to the shop to be worked on so he is using my car. Donny will be picking me up."

As soon as Emily hears the name "Donny" her expression changes instantly. She glares at her mother from across the room with her arms across her chest.

Daphne notices and says something.

"Is there something wrong, Emily? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Why are you spending so much time with that Donny guy, mum?"  
>Daphne looks at her daughter with intensity.<p>

"He's not "that Donny guy", Emily. His name is Donny and he's been a great friend to all of us since your dad has been in the hospital."

"But we don't need him, mum. We have each other, Grandpa and Grammy, Uncle Frasier and Aunt Charlotte, and Roz. We are just fine without him."

"Yes you're right, Emily. We are doing just fine without him, but it's really nice to have his friendship and support right now."

"I don't know why. It's almost like you want him to take Daddy's place."

Daphne gives her daughter a look of disbelief.

"That is not true, Emily! I love your father and I always will, Donny will never take the place of your daddy, okay?"

Emily nods with tears in her eyes.

"Okay, mum. I'm sorry I got so upset."

"It's quite all right; we have all been through a lot these past few weeks."

"Yes we have. I can't wait for Daddy to get better and come home."

"Neither can I, sweetie." Daphne says as she smiles at her daughter.

"Well I will see you later, mum. I love you."

"I love you too Emily."

Emily leaves her mother's room and closes the door behind her. She finds her way back to her bedroom as she lies down on her bed. She places her hands behind her head as she looks at the ceiling.

She wants Donny out of their lives and will do anything to make that happen.

"Pretty soon Donny Douglas will be just a distant memory." Emily says to herself.

Meanwhile…

Ashling catches a ride with her mom and Donny; they drop her off on their way to the hospital. David sits in the living room watching TV as he waits for his friends to show up. Emily waits in her room for her friends to show up for the sleepover. She can't wait to meet Katie's cousin from New York at the sleepover and talk to the new guy from school on the phone. It's going to be an awesome weekend and before it's all said and done, Emily may have a boyfriend. She can't keep the smile off her face as she lies on her bed. Then she hears the doorbell ring…

To be continued…


	20. Chapter 20

**Here is chapter 20 finally. Sorry it took so long to write and post. I had so much going on plus writer's block. I watched quite a few Frasier episodes to help motivate me to write again. This chapter and the ones to follow are because of that. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I can guarantee you the chapters will come much faster from now on. Enjoy! **

Chapter 20

David beats Emily to the door to answer it. They almost run each other over getting to the door but David still makes it there before Emily does. David opens the door to see Emily's friend Sarah at the door. She is holding an overnight bag on her shoulder and a sleeping bag under her arm. She has her jacket wrapped around her. It has cooled off and is beginning to rain which is not unusual for Seattle this time of year.

"Hi Sarah, Emily isn't home." David tells her.

Sarah gets a look of disappointment on her face.

"She's not?"

David shakes his head and begins to answer but before he can, Emily shoves him out of the way.

"Shut up and move, David."

Sarah smiles when she sees her friend. David leaves them alone as he sits back down on the couch.

"Come on in, Sarah. I know it's pretty chilly out there."

"Yeah it's cooling off."

Once Sarah comes inside, Emily closes the door behind her.

"Let's go to my room and drop your stuff off in there."

Sarah nods.

"Okay." She replies as she follows Emily to her bedroom.

Once they get to Emily's room, Sarah tosses her bag and sleeping bag on the floor by the bed. She takes her jacket off and tosses it on the bed.

"I can't wait for Katie to get here; I'm so excited to meet her cousin."

"So am I. Katie has told me a lot about her. " Sarah replies.

Emily and Sarah head back into the living room to wait for Katie and her cousin to arrive. They want to be the ones to answer the door when she gets there.

As Emily and Sarah leave the bedroom, the doorbell rings and they both run to answer it. They are laughing as they open the door and see Katie standing there with a girl who must be her cousin. She is really tall with dark hair and dark eyes. As soon as Katie sees Emily she smiles.

"Hi, Emily."

"Hi Katie, please come in."

Both Emily and Sarah step out of the way so Katie and her cousin can come inside. They both have their arms full of their belongings.

"Let's take your stuff to my room first and then we can all get acquainted." Emily says as she leads the way to her bedroom.

Once inside Katie and her cousin find a spot for their stuff on the floor as they both take their jackets off and put them on the bed along with Sarah's. Emily sits down on her bed and crosses her legs. Sarah sits at her usual spot; the chair in front of Emily's desk. Katie sits on the floor and lets her cousin have the stool from the vanity to sit on. Once they are all situated and comfortable, Katie introduces her cousin.

"Emily, Sarah; this is my cousin Vanessa. Vanessa these are my best friends Emily and Sarah."

Vanessa shakes hands with both Emily and Sarah as they all start talking and getting to know one another.

Meanwhile…

David sits on the couch to wait for his friends to arrive. He doesn't know what's taking them so long. He gets up and looks out the window and sees that the rain has picked up. He decides to call them to see if they are on their way. He doesn't want anything to go wrong today. He just wishes he didn't have to help keep an eye on his sister. He still wonders why his parents gave him sisters. He would have been fine being an only child. His mother wanted a girl but ended up with two girls instead. He loves his sisters and everything but sometimes they can just be a pain.

David is happy to be able to finally do something fun, since his dad has been in the hospital, he has had more responsibility and he hates it. He can't wait for his dad to get better and come home. He finally gets ahold of his friends and they are on their way. They stopped by the store to pick up some snacks on their way there and the rain has delayed them a bit.

David hangs up the phone and goes to his room to freshen up some before they arrive.

Meanwhile…

Daphne is at the hospital with Niles. She is by his side like she has been since the beginning. Donny dropped her off so he could go to his office for a while and do some work and then go see his mom. Since she was sent home, he likes to check up on her every so often. She has a nurse but he still worries about her nonetheless. Donny promises to come back later on to check on Daphne.

Martin and Ronee as well as Frasier and Charlotte were by earlier to visit with Daphne for a while and to check on Niles. Roz is at work but promised to stop by later on. Since she is the station manager, she has a lot of responsibility. It takes up a lot of her time, but she still manages to visit Alice at college and to come to the hospital to see Niles. Daphne is glad to have Roz as a friend.

Daphne just sits and looks at Niles while holding his hand. She just wants him to wake up already. She misses him so much it hurts.

Daphne starts talking to Niles to try to help him to wake up. She will try anything right now.

"Niles, its Daphne. You need to wake up, darling. I miss you, the kids miss you. Your brother and father miss you. You need to come back to us, we need you. I had a dream about your mother. She came to me and told me that she sent me to take care of your father so that you and I could meet and fall in love. She wanted us to be together, and she told me that you would wake up so I need you to wake up, okay? Just open your eyes and come back to us, to all of us. Please."

After she says this she puts her head down, face first on the bed while still holding Niles' hand. She can't stop herself from crying as she feels the burning in the back of her throat and the tears forming in her eyes.

"Damn." She says to herself as she lets the tears fall and wet the blanket.

She just lays there and continues to cry when suddenly she feels her hand being squeezed. She looks up as she wipes the tears from her eyes and sees Niles squeezing her hand. She almost can't believe its happening. She is just glued to the chair watching Niles squeeze her hand with a smile on her face. Her tears of sorrow turn into tears of joy as she puts her free hand on her mouth. Once she gets over the initial shock, she stands up and leans over Niles. She begins speaking to him.

"Niles, it's me. Please wake up. I felt you squeeze me hand so now all you need to do is open your eyes. Can you do that for me, sweetie? Open your eyes Niles, please."

Daphne watches Niles face for any sign of movement. At first there's nothing then she sees his eyelids flutter. He squeezes her hand again as he tries to wake up. He struggles to open his eyes as his eyelids continue to flutter.

Daphne gets closer to him, till she is practically in his face.

"Niles come on, wake up. Do it for me, darling. Open your eyes; I know you can do it."

Niles doesn't react at all. Daphne decides to try something else to get him to wake up and she hopes it works. She kisses the side of his mouth next to the respirator and then whispers in his ear.

"I love you Niles, and if you wake up, I will show you just how much."

Daphne stands up and looks at Niles' face once again to see if she gets a reaction out of him. After a few seconds pass, Niles eyes pop open and look right at her. She is just filled with such joy that she laughs as she leans over to hug him.

"Oh Niles I knew you could do it!" she says as she continues to hug him.

After a few minutes she pulls out of the hug. She pushes the button for a nurse to come in. As she waits, she grabs Niles' hand, kisses his fingers and looks into his blue eyes. She smiles at him and she could almost swear that he smiles back at her…

To be continued…


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The doctor finally made it to Niles' room. Daphne felt like she had been waiting forever for the doctor to arrive. The nurse came almost immediately but it took the doctor awhile longer because he had a patient in surgery. He came straight to Niles' room after the surgery. He was glad to know that Niles was awake because he was in a coma longer than he should have been. The doctor was worried that Niles would never wake up, but he's just glad he's finally awake.

The doctor continues to examine Niles as he shines a light in his eyes. His pupils dilate indicating that his sight is restored and that is a very good sign. Daphne watches the doctor examine Niles.

"How is Niles, doctor?" Daphne asks.

The doctor stops what he is doing for a moment and looks at Daphne.

"So far he is doing well. He has his sight back."

Daphne grins.

"Oh that is wonderful news! I am so happy to hear that!"

The doctor nods and smiles back at Daphne. He then turns back and continues what he was doing.

"I am going to be at this awhile if you would like to go get a cup of coffee or something."

Daphne agrees.

"That's a good idea, it will also give me a chance to call the family and give them the good news. Thank you, doctor."

The doctor looks up and nods as Daphne excuses herself to find the coffee machine and a place to call the family.

Meanwhile…

Ashling has been enjoying spending time with her grandparents. She was playing with the dog outside before it starting raining. Now she's playing Monopoly with her grandparents. The game is interrupted when Martin has to excuse himself to go to the bathroom.

Martin makes it to the bathroom and locks the door behind him. He sits down on the toilet and takes a pill bottle out of his pocket. He opens the bottle with shaky hands, takes a pill out and places it under his tongue. He then grabs a towel and wipes the sweat from his forehead. He hasn't been able to tell his wife or family that he has a heart condition. They don't even know he is taking Nitroglycerin. He has been able to hide it well. He doesn't know how much longer he will be able to keep it from them because he has had to increase his dosage. He is up to five pills a day now and it's only a matter of time before that won't even be enough. He hasn't told the family because they have enough to deal with, with Niles being in the hospital. He doesn't want them to worry about him as well. He knows he will eventually have to tell the family, he just doesn't know how or when.

Martin finally makes it out of the bathroom and hobbles back into the living room. Just when he gets there, the phone rings. Ronee is the one to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi Ronee, it's me Daphne."

"Oh hi Daphne, is something the matter?"

Ashling hears her mother's name and joins her grandmother by the phone.

"Put it on speaker, Grammy!"

Ronee puts the phone on speaker.

"Are you there, Ronee?" Daphne asks.

"Yes Daphne, I'm here. Ashling just wanted me to put the phone on speaker. So what's going on? Why are you calling?"

"Well, I have the best news. Niles is awake! He woke up just a little while ago."

Martin, Ronee and Ashling are all in shock at first, disbelieving what they are hearing.

Ashling is the first to say something.

"Daddy's awake? Is it really true, mummy?"

"Yes, it's true sweetie. Daddy's awake and he can see."

Martin, Ronee and Ashling are as happy as they hug one another with tears of joy.

"Thanks for letting us know, Daphne. We will be at the hospital as soon as we can."

Ronee hangs up the phone and goes back to hugging her husband and granddaughter. This is the best news ever. They celebrate for a few more moments and then gather their things to leave for the hospital.

Meanwhile…

David's friends finally made it and were all down in the basement listening to music and hanging out. They are getting ready to order some pizzas. Emily, Sarah, Katie and Vanessa are still in Emily's room hanging out and talking. They decide that they want pizza too so they leave the bedroom to find David so they can tell him what kind of pizza they want. On their way to the basement, Vanessa is admiring all their photos and things on the walls when she comes across an authentic Union Jack flag hanging out of a vase next to an American flag. She picks it up and looks at it.

"Emily, why do you have a British flag in your house?"

Emily stops walking and looks at Vanessa.

"I'm sorry Vanessa, what did you ask me?"

Vanessa holds up the flag and poses her question again.

"Why do you have a British flag in your house?"

Emily looks at the flag before answering.

"My mother is English."

Vanessa smiles as she puts the flag back in the vase.

"That is very cool."

Emily smiles in agreement.

"Yes it is very cool. She has promised to take me and my brother and sister to visit someday soon."

"That would be a lot of fun to see where your mom grew up." Vanessa replies.

"Yes it would, my mom is always telling stories about Manchester. It is always so fascinating listening to her stories. I will admit though she can be hard to understand when she really gets going. It's rather funny actually." Emily explains with a smile.

Her friends smile back as they continue talking, forgetting what they had set out to do. They are so engrossed in conversation that when the phone rings, it startles all of them.

"Sorry excuse me. I have to get that."

Emily excuses herself to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Emily, it's me."

"Oh hi, mum. I know you are calling to check up on me. We are fine; we were just about to order some pizzas."

"That's just fine, Emily but that's not why I'm calling."

Emily starts to become concerned.

"Why are you calling then?" she asks.

"Your daddy is awake, sweetie. He woke up just a little while ago."

Emily gets a big smile on her face.

"Daddy's awake?"

"Yes and he's doing great. He's got his sight back, too."

"Oh mum, that's the best news ever! I can't wait to see him. I will let David know. "

They finish their conversation as Emily hangs up the phone. The girls approach her.

"Is everything all right, Emily?" Sarah asks.

"Everything is better than all right. My father just woke up from his coma."

The girls are as happy for Emily as they hug her with big smiles on their faces. Sarah and Katie fill Vanessa in on what's going on as Emily goes to find her brother to tell him the good news…

To be continued…


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I wasn't planning on waiting this long to write another chapter, but my stupid writer's block is going to be the death of me. I hate having all these ideas in my head and not being able to put them on paper the way I want. I really hope you all stick with me through the end with this story. I really hope you like it so far. I am really proud of it so far and have worked hard on it. To all my friends who have encouraged me and have left me reviews, you know who you are, (seattleromantic), (Leigh Ann), (Kristen3) (and Jan2StaMuse). I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am grateful to all of you. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter 22

Later that evening...

The whole family is so happy that Niles is finally awake. It's the best news any of them could have gotten. Now that the doctor finally finished examining Niles, he is allowed to have visitors again. Once Daphne was allowed back in his room, she didn't leave his side. She stood next to him holding his hand with a smile on her face. The rain has delayed Martin, Ronee and Ashling as well as Frasier and Charlotte. Roz will be stopping by in the morning, since she is busy at the station and can't get away. A station manager's work is never done.

Since Niles and Daphne have the few moments alone before everyone shows up, Niles takes advantage of it. While holding Daphne's hand, he pulls her towards him. Daphne becomes startled as she looks over at him. He has a mischievous smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. He gestures to her with his free hand.

"Come here, I need to tell you something." Niles tells her.

Daphne leans over as Niles whispers to her.

"I just wanted to let you know, that when I get out of here, I'm going to take you home and ravish your body."

Daphne gasps at Niles' revelation as she feels the heat rise in her cheeks and feels the all too familiar stirring in her middle.

"I gather from your reaction that you like that idea?"

All Daphne can do is nod.

Niles smiles as he leans forward to kiss her. That is how they are found when Martin, Ronee and Ashling arrive.

Martin and Ronee just smile, roll their eyes and shake their heads. Ashling is so happy as she runs to her father and wraps him in a hug. Daphne moves away for a moment to allow Niles and Ashling a few moments alone.

"I'm so happy that you're awake, daddy. I have missed you so much!"

"I have missed you, too." Niles says to his daughter as they continue to hug.

Ashling pulls out of the hug and looks at her father.

"Now that you're awake, it means you can come home!"

Niles begins to say something until Daphne speaks.

"Daddy has to get a little better first, and then he will be coming home sweetie." Daphne tells her daughter.

Ashling grins at her father as she holds his hand. Daphne is taken aback a moment as she looks at her daughter smiling. She can't believe how much Ashling looks like her dad when she smiles. Even though Ashling resembles her the most, she definitely has her dad's smile and that makes Daphne feel good.

Daphne's thoughts are interrupted by Martin speaking.

Ashling gets up and joins her mother as she wraps her arms around her waist. Daphne puts her arm around her daughter and squeezes her closer to her.

"I am so glad to see you awake, son. I have missed you." Martin tells his son.

Niles smiles back at his father with tears in his eyes.

"Thanks, dad. I have missed you too."

Ronee joins her husband next to Niles' bed.

"It's great to have you back, kid." Ronee tells Niles with a smile.

Niles grabs Ronee's hand.

"Thanks, Ronee."

This is how Frasier and Charlotte find everyone when they arrive. They stand in the doorway watching for a few moments. Frasier wraps his arm around Charlotte and pulls her closer. Charlotte wraps her arms around Frasier's waist as she lays her head against him.

After a few moments Ashling looks up and sees her Uncle Frasier and Aunt Charlotte.

"Hi Uncle Frasier, Aunt Charlotte!" Ashling says as she lifts her hand to wave at them.

Everyone looks up and sees Frasier and Charlotte standing in the doorway.

"Hey Fras! Come on in!" Martin gestures to his oldest son.

Frasier and Charlotte enter the room hand in hand. They approach the bed next to Martin and Ronee. Frasier looks at his little brother with tears in his eyes.

"I'm so happy to see you awake Niles. As soon as you get out of here, you and I are going for coffee at Nervosa before Charlotte and I go back to Chicago."

Niles looks over at Daphne with a smirk. Daphne gives Niles a shy smile as her cheeks turn red. He then looks back over at his brother and shakes his hand.

"You have a deal."

Meanwhile...

Since David and Emily have friends over, they are waiting until tomorrow to visit their father. They are just so happy to know that he's finally awake. Although they are anxious to see him, they are enjoying this time with their friends and are looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

Emily and her friends are in living room eating their pizza and watching a movie. David and his friends have moved to his room. They are hanging out, eating pizza and playing video games. David has his IPod hooked up to his stereo and has it turned up. They are all having a grand time together.

Since Emily received such good news about her father and everything is going well, Katie decides it's time for Emily to call the new boy at school. Sarah, Vanessa and Emily are all talking and laughing. Katie interrupts them.

"Emily, I think it's time for you to call up Jordan. I know he's sitting by the phone waiting for your call." Katie explains.

"How do you know that?" Emily asks.

"He told me he would be at school today. He gave me his number to give to you."

Katie reaches down and pulls the number out of the back pocket of her jeans and hands it to Emily. Emily takes it and looks at it. She nods.

"Okay, I will go get the cordless phone and call him right now."

Emily starts to get up as Vanessa grabs her arm and stops her.

"Why are you using the land line? Don't you have a cell phone?"

Emily looks at Vanessa.

"No, my parents won't let me have a cell phone right now."

"Really? Why?" Vanessa asks.

"They believe I will talk on it too much and run up a high phone bill."

"That stinks major." Vanessa emphasizes.

Emily rolls her eyes.

"Tell me about it."

Vanessa stands up.

"I'll go get my cell phone out of my bag in your room and you can use it."

Emily smiles.

"Thanks, Vanessa."

Vanessa smiles and nods as she goes to retrieve her cell phone.

Sarah stands up.

"I'm going to go get me another soda, anybody else want another one?"

Both Emily and Katie look up and nod.

"Sure." they both say.

Sarah runs to the kitchen to grab some Pepsi's as Emily and Katie are left alone.

Emily looks at Katie.

"Katie, your cousin is so nice and really cool. I really like her."

Katie smiles at Emily.

"I know, I just love it when she visits. Since she lives in New York she always has such fascinating stories to tell."

Emily smiles.

"Yeah I can imagine, just like my mom's stories about Manchester."

Sarah comes back in with three cans of soda and hands Emily and Katie theirs.

"Thank you." they both say.

Vanessa finally comes back in, cell phone in hand.

"Sorry about that, I had a hard time finding it. I couldn't remember where I put in my bag. I'm just glad I found it." she says as she hands it to Emily.

Emily holds it and looks at it for a moment, just fascinated. Her parents' and David cell phones are really nice but this is so much nicer.

"I love your cell phone, Vanessa. It's really cool."

Vanessa smiles.

"Thanks, it's the newest IPhone."

"Wow." is all Emily can say.

"Emily, call Jordan already!" Katie cries.

"Okay, okay." Emily says as she takes Jordan's number out of her pocket and dials his number.

The others' get all excited.

"Put it on speaker!" Vanessa shrieks.

Emily punches the screen with her finger as they hear ringing on the other end. Suddenly they hear a click and then a boy's voice.

"Hello?"

The girls all giggle as their faces turn red.

"Hello?" the voice on the phone repeats.

Emily finally gathers her composure enough to answer.

"Hi, is this Jordan?"

"Yes, is this Emily?"

"Yes, this is Emily."

"Hello, Emily. It's nice to finally talk to you. You have a beautiful voice."

Emily gets embarrassed as she grins like an idiot.

"Thank you, Jordan. I like your voice too."

Katie, Sarah and Vanessa just stand their laughing with their hands on their mouths.

Emily shoots them all dirty looks.

"I would love to see you, Emily. I mean I see you at school every day but I haven't been able to come up and talk to you."

"That would be awesome, Jordan. Why don't you come over? I will give you my address."

"Okay, sounds good."

Emily gives Jordan her address and then she hangs up. The girls get all excited as they jump around and giggle with their arms around one another.

David comes out of his bedroom to grab some sodas and sees the girls giggling like idiots. He rolls his eyes.

_Girls_. He thinks to himself as he grabs the sodas and goes back to his room.

Things couldn't be better for the Crane family right now. Niles is awake and he is doing well. But what the family doesn't know is that things are about to take a dramatic turn when a devastating secret about one of the children comes to light...

To be continued...


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: This chapter may be a bit graphic in nature due to the content. I'm not going to tell you what that is because it will give it away. I just wanted to warn you that this will be a very graphic and emotional chapter. It involves one of the children. That's all I'm going to say. **

Chapter 23

Niles was enjoying this time with his family. Ashling was sitting on the bed next to her father; Daphne was sitting at the foot of the bed. Ashling was talking a mile a minute, telling her father about everything she had been doing since he had been in a coma. Most of her conversation had to do with her dancing and of course Martin and Ronee's dog, Belle. She loves that dog. Daphne watches her daughter talk with a smile on her face. Having Niles back has been so wonderful for all of them. It almost doesn't seem real. Daphne has missed him so much, and its obvious how much everyone else has missed him too, especially Ashling.

Niles interrupts Ashling for a moment and looks over at Daphne.

"So where are David and Emily? I thought they would be here with the rest of you."

Daphne looks at Niles as she answers.

"They are back at the house; they have some mates staying overnight. They will be in to see you tomorrow."

Niles smiles.

"Well I'm glad they are spending time with their friends. It's really what they need right now. I am anxious to see them though."

Daphne grabs Niles' hand and smiles.

"I know you are, dear."

Frasier, Charlotte, Martin and Ronee just watch and listen.

Ashling gets up off the bed.

"I will be right back, daddy. I'm going to the soda machine and get me a diet soda."

Niles nods.

Daphne looks at her daughter.

"Do you need some change for the machine, sweetie?"

"I think I have some quarters, mummy."

Ashling starts digging in her pants pockets for change. She remembered that she had put some change in them earlier that day. When she finally gets her hand on a quarter, she pulls her hand out of her pocket with the quarter inside her fist. But in doing so something small and metal falls onto the floor with a clink. Ashling doesn't notice it because she's busy digging for more change. Daphne happens to notice and goes over to pick up what dropped. She squats down to pick it up and once she gets it in her hand, she looks at it.

It's a razor blade. Daphne concludes. But why would my daughter have a razor blade in her pocket?

Daphne stands up to her full height and approaches Ashling. She holds her hand out towards her daughter.

"Ashling, you want to tell me why you had this razor blade in the pocket of your jeans?"

Ashling looks at the razor blade in her mother's palm and then looks up at her.

"Where did you find that, mummy?"

"I found it on the floor; it fell out of your pocket when you were digging for change."

"I don't have any idea where it came from." Ashling lies.

"Ashling Hester Crane, what have I told you about lying?" Daphne snaps.

"That it's wrong and I shouldn't do it."

Daphne nods.

"That's right, it's wrong to lie. So if you know that why are you lying to me now, young lady?"

Niles and the others look on, curious to know what's going on.

"Because I can't tell you why I have that razor blade."

"Why can't you tell me?" Daphne asks.

"Because you will be ashamed of me and hate me forever."

Daphne gives her daughter a skeptical look.

"Why would you say that? You're my daughter. I love you. Nothing you do could ever make me ashamed of you or hate you, okay?"

Ashling nods as tears form in her eyes.

"Okay."

"Now are you going to tell me what you were doing with this?"

Ashling sticks the change back in her pocket as she slowly pushes the sleeves of her shirt up to reveal red, jagged cuts on both forearms.

Daphne gasps as her hand goes to her mouth.

"Oh my God, Ashling! What have you done to yourself?!"

Daphne grabs both of Ashling's arms and looks at them more closely.

Ashling begins to sob.

"I'm sorry, mummy." she manages to say.

Daphne begins to cry as she lets go of Ashling's arms and tries to hug her. But Ashling pushes her mother away and runs out of the room in a fit of tears.

Niles' curiosity has finally gotten the better of him.

"Daphne, what's going on? What's wrong with our daughter?" he asks.

Daphne just stands there for a moment, still in shock.

"Daphne?"

Niles' voice finally grabs her attention as she looks at her husband and wipes the tears away. She walks back over to her husband's bedside as she opens her hand and reveals the razor blade. Niles just looks at it for a second. He then gets a confused look on his face.

"What is that?"

"It's a razor blade, Niles. Our baby has been cutting herself."

Niles gives Daphne a look of shock and disbelief.

Meanwhile...

Back at the house, the girls are waiting for Jordan to arrive, and like everyone else the rain has delayed him a bit. Emily is anxious to meet Jordan; he's the first boy to ever show any interest in her whatsoever. Sarah and Katie are very happy for Emily because they know how much Jordan likes her. All that she has been through these past few months with her father being sick has really been hard on her, this is definitely something she needs right now.

After what seems like an eternity, they hear the doorbell. The girls all run to the door together to answer it. Emily opens it and comes face to face with the cutest boy she has ever seen. All she can do is stand there and stare at him with a goofy smile on her face.

Sarah, Katie and Vanessa get all excited as they start giggling.

"It's Jordan!" Katie whispers.

Sarah nudges Emily in the shoulder to get her attention.

"Emily, are you going to answer the door, or stand there grinning like an idiot?"

Emily comes to her senses as she lets Jordan in.

Jordan smiles at her.

"Hi, Emily. It's nice to finally meet you face to face."

Emily smiles back.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Jordan."

To be continued...


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Frasier volunteers to be the one to go find Ashling. Everyone is in shock over Daphne's revelation about Ashling. They just can't believe it. Sweet, funny Ashling cutting herself? It just doesn't even seem real. Why would she even do something like that? Daphne feels guilty for not knowing what was going on with her daughter, not knowing that her daughter was having emotional problems. Ashling has been so sick and nobody knew, she hid it so well.

Niles is heartbroken as well as he and Daphne hold one another and shed some tears over their daughter. Niles hates that he can't get out of bed and go find Ashling himself. That little girl is so much like him in so many ways, they are so close and then to discover this? His poor baby girl going through so much while he has been sick and unable to care for her. Niles and Daphne both blame themselves but what they realize is that neither one of them is to blame for Ashling's problems.

Frasier finally finds Ashling sitting on a sofa by the front entrance. She really ran far, that girl can run! Ashling is sitting with her arms crossed across her chest. She is looking down at the floor. Frasier approaches her.

"May I join you?" he asks.

Ashling looks up with tears in her eyes. Her face still damp with old tears.

"If you want." she answers as she wipes the tears away with her sleeve.

Frasier definitely knows something is wrong because Ashling NEVER does that. Like her father, she always uses a tissue.

Frasier sits down next to his niece.

"So you want to tell me what's going on with you?"

Ashling becomes hesitant.

"Do I have to?"

"No, you don't have to, but as a psychiatrist I feel that it's always good to talk about things that are bothering you."

"Uncle Frasier I don't know if that would do any good right now."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to talk to a psychiatrist about what's bothering me."

"Well, okay. Then how about talking to your uncle who cares about you and loves you very much?"

Ashling manages a smile as she looks at her uncle.

"I guess I could do that."

Frasier smiles back at Ashling before speaking.

"So you want to tell me when you started cutting yourself?"

"Right after daddy went blind and I thought he was going to die. I felt that I was being lied to and treated like a child. I may only be nine but I can be told the truth and handle it like a grownup."

"Yes you can, Ashling. You are very mature and smart for your age, just like your dad. So you started cutting yourself because of your dad's illness and being treated like a child about it?"

Ashling nods.

"Well yes, that's part of it. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I thought I was going to have to live without daddy. I couldn't do that, I need daddy. I love him so much and if he would have died what was going to happen to me, Mummy, David and Emily? Only daddy knows how to take care of us and mummy loves daddy so much and she wouldn't have been able to make it without him."

"Yes your mother loves your dad very much, but you must understand that your mother is a very strong person and as much as she loves your father, she would have been able to make it without him. She would have done it for you children, that's how much she loves you."

"I know she would have done her best for us, Uncle Frasier because that's who she is but I have seen mummy cry herself to sleep at night. I could see the pain and sorrow in her eyes and I didn't want her to go through that, she shouldn't have to go through that. I cut myself because I thought if I cut myself and the pain I felt from that would somehow make mummy's pain for daddy go away."

Tears well up in Frasier's eyes as he looks at his niece. He puts his arm around her shoulders to provide some much needed comfort.

"Oh Ashling, you have been through more than any girl your age should have to deal with. Instead of telling everyone how you felt, you kept it to yourself and inflicted physical pain to your body. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. You are more like your father than I realized. Your dad always had a hard time expressing how he felt."

Ashling nods.

"Yes I know, mummy told me. So Uncle Frasier, is daddy really better? Is he really going to be okay now?"

Frasier looks Ashling right in the eyes.

"Yes he is. He has some recovery to go through from the surgery but he's over the worst part, he's awake and will be home before you know it."

Ashling smiles as she stands up.

"I'm glad. Thanks for talking to me, Uncle Frasier. It really helped."

"You're welcome. How about we go back to your dad's room and spend more time with him before you have to back to Grandpa's?"

Frasier replies as he stands to join his niece.

"That sounds like a great idea, but I'm going to go get a diet soda first. Be right back."

Frasier nods and smiles as he watches his niece at the soda machine. As he watches her he thinks to himself.

_I had no idea that she was so troubled by everything going on right now. I'm glad that my talk with her helped but I know that she is not completely well. It will only be a matter of time before she cuts herself again. She definitely needs some professional help. I'm going to talk to Niles and maybe if we put our heads together, we can think of someone that can really help her get better. That is the most important thing right now. There is nothing I wouldn't do for Niles' little girl._

Ashling joins her uncle as she grabs his hand and pulls on it.

"Come on Uncle Frasier, let's go see my daddy."

Meanwhile...

Back at the house Emily and Jordan have been talking and getting to know one another. It turns out that Jordan moved to Seattle from Kansas. His dad is a pastor at the new church that was just opened. It has been a very big adjustment for Jordan moving halfway across the state. The fact that Jordan is a preacher's son, doesn't bother Emily. In fact, she's happy to meet a boy with such good moral values. After meeting and spending time with her mom's brothers, this is a refreshing change of pace.

"I would love to invite you to the service this Sunday. You can meet my parents and see the church. It's really nice. It's a lot nicer than the one my dad preached in, in Kansas." Jordan explains.

Emily smiles.

"I would love that Jordan. Of course, I would have to talk to my parents but I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with it. I mean I have never really been to church so it will be a new experience for me. It might be fun."

Jordan takes Emily by surprise as he wraps her in a hug. She hugs him back.

"Great!" he cries as he pulls out of the hug.

Emily just looks at him for a moment and smiles. She can't get over how beautiful his eyes are. She has never seen eyes that color before. They are like brown and green mixed together, she could get lost in them.

Katie, Sarah and Vanessa went to Emily's room to allow Emily and Jordan some time alone together. After a few moments, Emily realizes she is staring at Jordan, so she darts her eyes away quickly. To ease the uncomfortableness she is feeling, she breaks the silence.

"Um would you like a soda or something, Jordan? We also have some pizza left over from earlier."

"Sure, I'll have a soda and some pizza."

Emily laughs as she stands up.

"Okay, follow me."

Jordan gets up and follows Emily into the kitchen. While they are in there, David comes out of his room to check up on his sister and her friends. He doesn't see them in the living room, so he goes into the kitchen and sees Emily and a boy talking and laughing next to the microwave. David is a bit upset since one of the rules of the house is no boys when their parents aren't home.

David gets their attention.

"Emily, what are you doing with a boy in the house? You know mum and dad don't allow it when they aren't home."

Emily jumps about a foot.

"Geez David, you scared me to death! Don't do that!" Emily cries.

"I didn't mean to scare you like that but you know you aren't supposed to have boys in the house when mum and dad aren't home." David says matter of factly.

"I know David but I thought you could make an exception this time. This is Jordan, he just moved here from Kansas. His dad is the pastor at the new church. Jordan this is my big brother, David."

Jordan extends his hand to David.

"Nice to meet you, David."

David takes Jordan's hand reluctantly. No matter how he feels about someone, he was always taught to be polite.

"Nice to meet you too, Jordan."

David pulls his hand away almost too quickly.

The microwave goes off indicating that the pizza is done. Emily takes it out and closes the door. She hands it to Jordan.

"Here's your pizza, Jordan."

Jordan takes the pizza from Emily and looks at it.

"Thank you, Emily."

"You're welcome. Let me grab you a soda from the fridge. Go ahead and sit down at the table." Emily points to the kitchen table as she gets a soda from the refrigerator.

David just stands there watching them. Emily notices this and gets annoyed.

"David, we are fine in here, why don't you go back and be with your friends. We aren't going to do anything wrong, okay."

David is hesitant at first.

"Well okay but Jordan will have to leave in half an hour and I mean that, Emily."

Emily gets sarcastic with her brother as she puts her fingers on her forehead in a salute.

"Yes, sir!"

David just rolls his eyes as he leaves the kitchen. Emily joins Jordan at the table as she hands him his soda.

He smiles as he takes it from her and opens it. He takes a drink before speaking.

"Your brother seems nice."

Emily rolls her eyes.

"Yeah he's all right I guess. He can be a royal pain sometimes though. "

Jordan agrees.

"I know what you mean, I have an older sister and a little brother and they can be annoying at times too."

Emily smiles as she and Jordan talk while he finishes his pizza. Sarah, Katie and Vanessa finally come out of Emily's room to find out what's been going on. Emily fills them in on everything and before long it's time for Jordan to leave, but he promises to stop by tomorrow afternoon after Emily gets back from visiting her father in the hospital.

What Emily and the rest of the family don't know is that by Emily meeting Jordan, and him being around during this most crucial time in their lives is exactly what they need. Jordan and his family are going to be the best thing that ever happened to them.

To be continued...


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Since Niles was awake and doing much better, he insisted Daphne go home and get a good night's sleep since she would be bringing the kids by to see him. He would also be starting his physical therapy and Daphne wanted to be there. She was hoping they would allow her to help out. Since Niles has been in the hospital she hasn't had any clients and she really misses it. She is still very concerned about Ashling even though Frasier talked to her which seemed to help. Daphne never imagined that her daughter was struggling so much. Daphne decides that since Niles is doing better, she can spend more time with the children. She will spend some quality time with Ashling hoping that will help her get over what is bothering her.

Once she gets home after Frasier and Charlotte drop her off, she finds the girls crashed out on the sofa and floor in front of the TV, with their sleeping bags. From the mess surrounding them, she concludes that they did each other's nails, did makeovers, watched movies and listened to music. Daphne smiles as she kisses Emily's forehead. She looked in on David and his friends, in his room and they were all crashed out with the TV still on. Daphne turns the TV off and goes to bed herself, she was happy to be finally sleeping in her own bed for a change. She smiles because it won't be long before she and Niles are sharing their bed again.

As soon as Daphne's head hits the pillow, she's out like a light.

The next day...

Daphne is awakened by noises coming from the children. She hears talking, giggling and crashing sounds. She reluctantly drags herself out of bed and puts her robe on. She wipes she sleep out of her eyes as she opens the door of her bedroom and goes to face the children.

Once she reaches the kitchen, she sees Emily with her head in the fridge, David sitting at the table with a big bowl of cereal; Katie and Sarah are sitting at the table drinking some juice and talking, another girl that Daphne doesn't recognize is standing at the counter watching the toaster. David's friends have all gone home already.

Daphne enters the kitchen hoping to make her some coffee; she will need it to get through the day. She opens the cabinet looking for the coffee and that's when Emily sees her.

"Good morning mum, I had no idea you were home!"

Daphne smiles at her daughter.

"Yes I came home last night. Your father insisted that I do."

Emily nods as she pours herself a glass of milk.

"How is daddy doing?" she asks.

"He's doing very well. He's anxious to see both you and David." Daphne explains as she finally finds the coffee and starts making a pot.

David gets up from the table to put his bowl in the sink. He gives him mother a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm glad your home, mum. I'm going to go take a shower so I will be ready when we leave to go see dad."

"Okay, David." Daphne tells her son as she smiles at him.

David leaves to go take a shower. Emily sits down at the table with her friends to eat her toaster strudel. Vanessa passed out one to each of them as they all eat.

The coffee finally finishes brewing as Daphne pours herself a cup. She starts to head to the living room to watch some TV and relax for a bit when Emily stops her.

"Oh mum, I almost forgot. I want to introduce you to someone." she says as she chews her food.

Daphne approaches the table as she waits for Emily to finish chewing.

Emily finishes her bite of food as she points to the dark haired girl across from her.

"Mum, this is Katie's cousin Vanessa, she is here visiting from New York. Vanessa, this is my mother."

Daphne extends her hand to Vanessa, who shakes it.

"It's lovely to meet you, Vanessa."

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Crane."

Daphne smiles at her as she pulls her hand away.

"So whereabouts in New York are you from, Vanessa?"

"Brooklyn."

"That's what I thought from hearing your accent."

Vanessa nods.

"Yes and Emily tells me that you are from England, and from your accent I can definitely tell."

Daphne becomes slightly embarrassed as she puts her hand up to her face.

"Is it really that obvious?" Daphne asks.

All the girls nod and laugh as they answer.

"Yes."

Daphne laughs as she takes a sip of coffee. She excuses herself and lets the girls be alone to finish their breakfast.

Vanessa is the first to say something.

"Your mom is very nice, Emily. I love her accent, I know you told me she was from England but her accent isn't what I was expecting."

"Yes my mom is great. I love her very much and yes her accent is very unique but that's what I love about her. That's one of the things my dad fell in love with too. It was love at first sight for him."

"Aw that's sweet." Sarah exclaims.

Emily just smiles at her friend as they all finish their breakfast.

An hour later...

It was finally time to leave for the hospital. They had to wait until Emily's friends left so they had to wait on their rides to pick them up, once they were all safely on their way home it was time to leave for the hospital. Since David's car is at the shop, they all have to take Daphne's car.

Once they are all properly situated in the car, Daphne lets David drive since she needs to talk to them about Ashling. As David drives, Daphne gets their attention.

"There is something I need to talk to you two about."

Emily looks up at her mom from the backseat.

"What is it, mum?"

"When I was at the hospital last night with your father, your sister was there with Grandpa Martin and Grammy Ronee."

David and Emily nod.

"Well, we all found out that your sister has been cutting herself for weeks now. I found a razor blade that had fallen out of her pocket. She tried denying it at first, but I got the truth out of her and she admitted to it."

Emily and David are both shocked.

"Oh my God, that's awful!" Emily cries.

David looks over at his mother.

"Why is she cutting herself, mum?" he asks.

"Well according to your Uncle Frasier, she said that she was doing it because of the pain she felt about your father being so sick. She thought he was going to die and she couldn't handle that. She even said that she saw me crying meself to sleep at night over your father, and she thought that by cutting herself that the pain she felt from that would ease the pain I was feeling about your father."

"Wow." is all that David and Emily can say.

"So I want you two to be nice to your sister and just be there for her in whatever way you can, because this is going to be a long and difficult time for her, okay?"

David and Emily both agree.

"Sure." they both say.

They finally make it to the hospital and pull into the parking lot. The sun is shining, making the puddles from the rain the night before, shine like crystal. They all pile out of the car and head to the entrance and then once inside, they go straight to Niles' room. Once they get there, they see Roz has arrived and she and Niles are talking.

Niles or Roz doesn't see them at first until Daphne clears her throat. Both Niles and Roz turn and look at them. Niles sees his wife and children as a smile spreads across his face.

Roz speaks up.

"Hey you guys!" she says as she stands up and approaches them. She gives them all hugs.

"Hello, Roz." Daphne replies as she hugs Roz back.

David and Emily head straight for their father. They are so happy to see him awake.

Emily gives her father a big hug.

"Oh daddy, I have missed you so much! I'm so happy you can see again!"

Niles hugs his daughter back.

"I have missed you too, Emily. It's great to see your beautiful face again."

Emily pulls out of the hug and grins at her father.

David grabs his father's hand.

"Hi dad, it really is great to see you awake. I have missed you as well."

Niles smiles at his son.

"David, my son. I am so proud of you for taking such good care of everything while I was in a coma."

"No problem, dad." David replies as he sees the love and admiration in his father's eyes.

"Come over here and give your dad a hug."

David lets go of his father's hand and reaches over to give him a hug. Niles hugs David so tightly.

"Dad, I can't breathe, you're hugging me too tight."

Niles slacks off a bit while still holding David.

"Sorry son, I'm just so glad to see you. I have missed you."

"I know dad."

David pulls out of the hug and looks at his father. Daphne, Roz and Emily just look on. They are all enjoying this family moment when they are suddenly interrupted by someone tapping on the open door.

They all look up to see Donny standing there.

To be continued...


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Donny just stands there uncomfortably as everyone stares at him. He just holds a manila envelope in his hands as he looks at everyone.

Niles is the one to break the silence.

"Hello Donny, what brings you by?"

Donny focuses his attention on Niles before answering.

"Well, I came by because I heard you were awake and I also have something to give you."

Emily stands next to her father's bed and just glares at Donny. She's not the least bit happy that Donny is there. He has never been her favorite person.

"What is it, Donny?" Daphne asks.

Donny approaches the bed and hands the envelope to Daphne. Daphne takes it with a curious look on her face.

As if reading her mind Donny explains to her what it is.

"It's some papers that Niles asked to me to take care of in case he didn't pull through. I had them already done before I found out his prognosis so I decided to go ahead and give them to you anyway. You can do with them what you see fit."

"Well, thank you for taking care of it, Donny. It's always good to be prepared no matter what. I really appreciate it." Niles tells him.

"I was happy to do it, Niles because I knew how important it was to you. I am just so happy that you are awake and doing better. It's really good to see you doing so well."

Niles smiles and nods and begins to speak but Emily interrupts him.

"Yeah I'm sure you are. I bet you wanted my daddy to die so you could move in on mum."

Daphne gasps as she looks at her daughter.

"Emily Anne Crane! Why are you speaking to Donny that way?!"

Emily just glances at her mother. Donny just stands there with a shocked look on his face as Emily attacks him some more.

"But my daddy is awake now, and he's going to be fine! We don't need you anymore, stay away from my mother and leave us alone!" Emily hisses.

Daphne is very angry and ashamed of her daughter.

"Sorry about that Donny, I don't know what has come over my daughter. Excuse us." Daphne says as she grabs Emily by the arm and takes her out in the hallway.

Once they are out there, Emily pulls her arm away from her mother's grip, crosses her arms across her chest and turns away from her mother.

"Emily what was that you just pulled in there?!" Daphne asks, furious.

Emily doesn't answer, just continues to sulk with her back turned.

"Well if you're not going to answer me then you can just stay out here until you are ready to explain and apologize for your actions!"

Daphne then turns on her heels and goes back into Niles' room. As soon as she goes back in Niles looks at her.

"What just happened with Emily, Daphne?"

Daphne approaches Niles' bed and takes his hand in hers.

"I don't know, Niles. She won't tell me anything. I don't know what's come over her."

David speaks up.

"I'll go talk to her and see if she will open up to me."

Daphne looks at her son and nods.

"Thank you, David."

David nods as he leaves the room.

Daphne apologizes to Donny once more.

"Sorry about that Donny. I don't know what came over me daughter."

"It's quite all right, Daphne. I understand that Emily doesn't like me, I have no hard feelings towards her."

"That's so nice of you to be so understanding, Donny but Emily had no right to treat you that way. So please accept our apologies."

"Thank you, Niles. I really appreciate it. Well I better get out of here and leave you two alone. It was great seeing you both, and Niles I'm so happy you are better."

Niles smiles.

"Thank you Donny, for everything. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Bye."

"Bye, Donny." Daphne says.

Once Donny has left Niles and Daphne look at one another and smile.

Meanwhile out in the hallway...

Donny almost runs into David in his haste to avoid Emily. He starts to apologize to David and then David interrupts him.

"Donny there is something my sister wants to say to you before you leave."

David nudges Emily as she continues to sulk. Emily looks up at Donny, her eyes wet with tears.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, Mr. Douglas. Please accept my apology. It was rude and selfish, please forgive me."

Donny just smiles at Emily.

"It's all forgiven and forgotten, Emily. Okay? You just be happy and take good care of your dad."

Emily nods as she shakes Donny's hand and then Donny shakes David's hand.

"Bye, Donny and thanks." David says to him.

Donny nods and smiles as he leaves.

David turns his attention back to his sister.

"So Emily, I'm going to go get a soda, you want one?"

Emily looks at her brother and shakes her head.

"No you go ahead, I need to talk to mum and dad about something."

David nods as he leaves.

Emily goes back into her father's room. She sees her parents looking at the papers that Donny left, so they don't notice her right away. She just watches them for a few more minutes and then approaches her father's bed.

She gets their attention.

"Mum, dad, may I talk to you about something?" Emily asks.

They stop what they are doing at look at her.

Niles is the first to say something.

"Did you apologize to Donny?"

Emily nods.

"Yes, daddy. David talked to me and when I saw Mr. Douglas I apologized to him. I really am sorry for the way I acted."

"Well, I'm glad that you understand that what you did was wrong. Now what do you want to talk to your mother and me about?"

Emily looks over and her mother and then back at her father.

"Um, there is this new boy at school. His name is Jordan. He just moved here from Kansas, his dad is a pastor at the new church and when he came over to visit yesterday he invited me to come to church with him on Sunday. I told him I would have to ask you first and then let him know what you said when he stops by the house later. So is it okay if I go to church with him on Sunday?"

Niles and Daphne look at each other and then look at Emily.

"I would like to meet this boy before I say yes." Daphne tells her daughter.

Emily nods.

"Oh of course, mum. I know you will like him, he's very nice." Emily says with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Daphne smiles.

"You fancy this boy don't you?"

Emily smiles and nods.

"Yes I do like him, mum. I can't wait for you to meet him later."

It's Niles' turn to speak.

"Now you're my little girl and I don't want just any boy taking you out. I would like to meet him too."

"Sure daddy. I can bring him by tomorrow after church so you can meet him. I know you will like him."

Niles smiles at his daughter.

"Okay."

"Thanks daddy, thanks mummy!" Emily squeals as she hugs both of them.

Niles and Daphne really are happy for their daughter and can't wait to meet Jordan.

To be continued...


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

David and Emily spend a bit more time with their parents. They are both just so happy that their father is awake. As much as Emily wants to stay and spend more time with her father, she realizes she needs to get back to the house before Jordan calls. She told him she would be home when he called so she needs to get back to the house so she doesn't miss his call. She is also anxious for her mom to meet him. Emily hopes her mom will like him as much as she does.

Emily approaches her mom who is laughing at something David told her. She gets her mother's attention.

"Mum, I really need to get home before Jordan calls. I told him I would be home when he called and I don't want to miss his call. Besides you said you were anxious to meet him."

Daphne nods; agreeing.

"Yes, I am anxious to meet this boy you fancy so much."

She turns her attention to her husband for a moment.

"Niles, darling I have to go for a bit to drop the kids off at the house and to meet Emily's friend, Jordan. I will be back later for your physical therapy."

Niles smiles at his wife.

"Okay, darling. I will see you later on then. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Daphne leans in for a quick kiss then the kids take a minute to hug their father. Before long they are out the door and in the car on the way back to the house.

Meanwhile back in Niles' room...

Niles is reading one of the many books that Daphne brought him from home. He helps keep him entertained when there isn't anything on television and when he has no visitors. If he didn't have his books, he would be bored out of his mind.

Niles is so engrossed in his book that the doesn't hear Roz come in. Roz clears her throat to get his attention. He looks up from his book and sees her. He puts his book down and smiles.

"Where have you been, Roz? I didn't even realize you had left."

"Well thanks so much for forgetting about me." she says half-jokingly.

Niles just gives a small chuckle.

"So where were you?" he asks.

"I had to take a phone call from work; I stepped out while you were talking to Daphne and the kids. Oh, I also got a call from Alice and she's got a break from school, so I'm going to go pick her up tomorrow."

Niles grins.

"That's great. It's been awhile since I've seen Alice. It will be good to see her again."

Roz nods and smiles.

"Yes I miss my daughter so much. It will be good to have her home for a few days."

Roz becomes a bit distracted as she walks over to the window and looks out. Niles becomes worried as well as curious.

"Roz are you all right?"

Roz is a bit startled at first by Niles question as she looks at him before answering.

"Yeah, I'm okay. There is something you need to know, I just don't know how to tell you."

Niles pushes himself up on the bed a bit more as he looks at Roz anxious to hear what she has to say.

"What is it, Roz?" he asks.

"I ran into Donny in the hall as he was leaving. I had no idea that he came by to see you."

Niles nods.

"Yes, he was here to see me and to drop off some papers I asked him to file before I went into surgery."

Roz starts pacing back and forth next to Niles' bed.

"I see, so I guess he didn't tell you then?"

Niles looks at Roz, a look of confusion on his face.

"Tell me what?"

"That he and I have been seeing each other for a while now and it's getting pretty serious."

Niles is speechless as he looks at Roz with a look of complete and utter shock.

Meanwhile...

Daphne is driving as she reaches the house and pulls into the driveway. She parks the car and shuts off the ignition. They all pile out of the car and head for the house. Emily runs to the door, so she is the first one there. She already has her house key in her hand as she starts to unlock the door. Before she can stick the key in the lock, she realizes the door is already unlocked.

She looks over at her mom and David. They notice her looking at them. Daphne is the one to speak.

"What is it, Emily?" she asks.

"The door is already unlocked, mum."

Daphne gets a curious look on her face as she approaches Emily.

"That's strange. I know I locked when we left earlier."

She turns the knob and sure enough it opens easily. Daphne pushes the door all the way open as she enters the house.

"Hello? Is someone here?" she yells.

Ashling comes out of the kitchen eating a cookie.

"Hi, mummy."

Daphne laughs as she grabs her daughter and wraps her in a hug.

"Oh Ashling, I'm so glad it's you! I have never been happier to see you in my life!'

Ashling pulls out of the hug with a look of confusion on her face.

"Mummy, are you okay?"

Daphne just looks at her daughter and smiles.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just thought someone had broken in."

Ashling nods.

"Oh, well it's just me." she says, shrugging and takes a bite out of her cookie.

Emily approaches her sister.

"It's really good to see you, sis. I love you, you know that right?"

Ashling gives her sister a skeptical look.

"Yes Emily I know you love me, I love you too. What's going on with everyone today?" she says as she looks around at everyone.

David approaches Ashling next.

"Mum told us this morning that you have been cutting yourself, and we just wanted to let you know how much we love you and that we are here for you in whatever way you need."

Ashling looks at her brother and then over at her mother.

"Well thank you, Davey. I wish mummy hadn't told you. I didn't want anyone to know about it."

Daphne looks back at her daughter.

"Sorry Ashling but I thought your brother and sister had a right to know, please forgive me."

Ashling nods.

"It's okay, mummy. I'm doing fine, really. Thank you all for your concern. I'm going to go downstairs and practice some dance moves. Let me know when lunch is ready."

Daphne nods as she watches her daughter walk away and head to the basement. Sometimes that girl is too smart for her own good.

David perks up at the mention of lunch.

"Speaking of lunch mum, what are we having?" he asks.

"I was just going to make sandwiches for everyone because Emily's friend Jordan is coming over."

David nods.

"Oh okay, well I'm going to my room. Let me know when lunch is ready." he says as he heads for his room.

Daphne just shakes her head as she heads to the kitchen to make lunch. Emily is already sitting by the phone waiting for Jordan to call. But she doesn't have to wait long. As soon as it rings, she picks it up.

"Hello, Jordan?"

"Hi, Emily."

Emily smiles.

"So are you still coming over to meet my mom?"

"Look out your window and you will get your answer."

Emily gets a confused look on her face for a moment, and then turns to the window. She grabs the edge of the curtain and pushes it up, when she looks out she sees Jordan standing there waving with his cell phone on his ear.

Emily is a bit startled at first but then smiles and waves back. She turns back around and hangs the phone up then runs to the door to let Jordan in. She opens the door and sees him standing there, looking at his phone.

"Come on in, Jordan." Emily says as she grabs his arm and pulls him inside.

Once he's inside she drags him into the kitchen where her mom is standing at the counter making lunch. She gets her mother's attention.

"Mum, I want you to meet Jordan."

To be continued...


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Daphne looks up from what she is doing and looks at Emily and Jordan. She gives Jordan a smile. She grabs a towel to wipe her hands as she approaches them. She reaches out to Jordan for a handshake. He shakes her hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Jordan. Me daughter has done nothing but talk about you."

Emily gets embarrassed at that.

"Mum, why did you tell him that?!"

Daphne looks at her daughter innocently.

"Well, it's true. You have!"

Emily crosses her arms across her chest and sulks.

Jordan looks at Emily and smiles.

"It's okay, Emily. I think it's sweet that you have been talking about me because I have to confess something. I have done nothing but talk to my parents about you so we're even."

Emily takes a deep breath and smiles back at Jordan.

"Well I guess its okay then."

Jordan puts his arm around Emily and when he does, Emily gets a whiff of his cologne. He smells so good.

Daphne excuses herself as she goes back to finish making lunch. She asks Jordan what kind of sandwich he wants.

"Jordan what kind of sandwich would you like? We have ham, turkey and bologna."

"Ham is fine, Mrs. Crane. I like mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato on it."

Daphne nods and smiles.

"Okay then."

Emily and Jordan go back to the living room and sit down on the sofa to watch some television before lunch is ready.

Before long lunch is ready as Daphne asks Emily to go get her brother and sister. Emily knocks on David's door.

"David, lunch is ready!"

Then Emily yells down to the basement at Ashling.

"Ashling, lunch is ready!"

"Okay be right there!" she yells back.

Emily joins her mom and Jordan at the table. She sits next to Jordan as Daphne sits at the end. David finally joins them as he sits across the table from Emily and Jordan. He sits down and starts to eat before Ashling has even gotten there.

Daphne puts her hand on his arm.

"David, please wait for your sister to get here."

"But, I'm hungry mum!" David whines.

"You're always hungry, David. You can wait a few minutes." Daphne scolds.

David groans as he sits back in his chair and waits for Ashling to arrive.

Ashling finally makes it to the table and sits down in her spot. She doesn't see Jordan at first until she hears Emily giggling. She looks over at Emily and finally sees Jordan. She just watches her sister for a few moments. She's never seen her act this way before. Ashling just rolls her eyes.

"Mum, Ashling's here, may we eat now?"

Daphne looks at her son.

"Yes you may."

David nods as he picks up his sandwich and starts to take a bite. He then hears Jordan whisper something. He looks over at him and sees him with his head bowed praying.

Before long everyone else is watching him pray.

Emily grabs his hand and prays with him. Everyone else is quiet as they wait for him to finish.

He finally finishes his prayer with an "Amen" as he looks up and sees everyone looking at him.

He just smiles as he picks up his sandwich and takes a bite. Everyone takes it as their cue to start eating. They aren't used to saying grace before they eat; this is something new to all of them and rather a nice change.

After a while the tension is broken and the atmosphere is a bit more comfortable as they continue to make conversation as they eat. Ashling is finally introduced and once lunch is over they find out how much they really like Jordan. David's first impression of Jordan was wrong as he can see why Emily likes him so much. He does tend to be wrong about people from time to time.

The time finally comes for Jordan to leave so everyone must say their goodbyes to him. Once everyone has said goodbye to him, he and Emily are left alone to say their goodbyes.

"My family and I will be here around 9 am tomorrow to pick you up for church." Jordan explains.

Emily nods.

"Okay, I will be ready. I am looking forward to meeting the rest of your family and going to church. I think it will be a lot of fun."

Jordan smiles.

"I know you will like it. My dad is a great preacher and I know my family will like you as much as I do."

Emily smiles.

"I hope so, Jordan because I really like you too."

He grins at Emily which causes her heart to flutter in her chest. Before she realizes what is happening Jordan leans in and kisses her. She closes her eyes as she feels his lips on hers but before she can react, the kiss is over. She opens her eyes and sees Jordan already by the front door.

"Bye Emily, see you tomorrow." he says; and with that he opens the door and is gone.

Emily just stands there for a few moments starting at the door.

Daphne comes into the living room and sees her daughter standing there staring at the closed door.

"Emily are you okay?"

Emily just looks at her mom with a goofy smile on her face and a dreamy look in her eyes. She nods as she absentmindedly walks to her room and shuts the door.

Daphne just stands there with a confused look on her face.

"What was that all about?" she asks herself with a shrug as she heads to the kitchen to clean up.

To be continued...


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The next morning...

Emily wakes up before her alarm goes off. She shuts it off so it doesn't go off while she's in the shower. She grabs some undergarments from her dresser and takes her robe from off the back of her door. She heads to the bathroom to take a shower. She washes her hair with her new shampoo and conditioner, washes her face, uses her body wash and then rinses off. She shuts the shower off and steps out as she grabs her towel off the towel rack next to the shower. She leans over and wraps her wet hair in the towel. She grabs her other towel and dries herself off. She slips on her undergarments and then her robe.

She heads to her bedroom to pick out the clothes she's wearing to church. She decides on her ankle length floral print dress and her denim jacket to wear over it. She takes out her white chunky heels and a pair of pantyhose. She puts it all on her bed as she grabs her blow dryer to dry her hair. She takes her hair out of the towel and shakes her head to loosen the wet strands. She starts blow drying her hair and before long it's dry as she runs a brush through it.

She gets dressed, pulls her hair up in a clip and curls it with her curling iron, she then puts her makeup on; remembering what her mother taught her about applying it so it looks natural, squirts on some body spray and then slips her heels on. She checks the clock and realizes she has about 20 minutes to spare so she takes the time to grab something quick for breakfast. By the time she finishes eating, brushing her teeth, and reapplying her lipstick; Jordan and his mother show up. She grabs her purse from off her chair and runs out the door and to the waiting car.

A short time later...

Jordan, his mom and Emily make it to the church as they pull into the parking lot. As Emily steps out of the car with Jordan's assistance she looks up at the church, fascinated. She had been seeing the progress of the church as she would ride by on her way to and from school every day but hadn't realized how beautiful the church really was.

Jordan notices Emily looking at the church building.

"So what do you think of it?" he asks.

She looks down at Jordan before answering him and then gives him a smile.

"It's beautiful. I love it."

Jordan grins; agreeing with her as he nods.

"Yes, it really is a beautiful church."

They follow Jordan's mother into the church as they walk hand in hand. Jordan looks handsome in his dress pants, dress shirt and tie. It's the first time she's seen him dressed up and she likes it. They continue to follow Jordan's mother as they make it to the sanctuary. Jordan starts introducing Emily to everyone as she shakes hands and smiles as she had been taught. They finally make it to their pew in the front of the church where there are already a few people seated. Jordan's mother begins talking to the girl seated in the pew as Emily just watches. Jordan finally introduces them.

"Emily, I would like you to meet my sister Megan. Megan, this is Emily."

Megan looks at Emily for a moment and then smiles as she extends her hand. Emily shakes Megan's hand and smiles back. She sees Megan's mouth full of braces but that still doesn't distract from the fact that she is very pretty. She has the same color eyes as Jordan.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Emily. I'm glad you could come today."

Emily nods as she replies with a smile.

"Yes, thank you. It's nice to meet you too, Megan."

Megan then goes back to talking to her mom. Emily turns her attention to the front of the church. She sees the pulpit where Jordan's dad will be standing during his sermon, and the chairs lined up behind it, and then off to the side she sees some instruments and microphones. This is just all so new and fascinating to her, it's so much to take in.

Emily is distracted when Jordan puts his arm around her to comfort her. She leans into him and then looks up when she sees something out of the corner of her eye. She sees a man approaching them carrying a little boy on his hip. When he reaches them, he sets the little boy down. The little boy heads right for Emily and climbs up in the pew next to her.

"Hi, I'm Elijah, are you Emily?" he asks.

Emily looks at the little boy and nods.

"Yes I am." She replies with a smile.

Jordan breaks the uncomfortableness as he speaks.

"Emily this is my little brother, Elijah."

"Nice to meet you, Elijah." she says as she tries to shake his hand.

He nods then shakes her hand quickly, then wipes his nose with the back of his hand.

Jordan scolds his little brother.

"Elijah use a tissue, that is so disgusting!"

The man that brought Elijah over overhears and looks down. He grabs a tissue out of his pocket and hands it to Elijah.

"Wipe your nose with the tissue Elijah; not your hand."

He nods.

"Okay daddy."

Elijah wipes his nose with the tissue as Jordan introduces Emily to his dad.

"Dad, this is Emily Crane. The one I have been telling you about."

Jordan's dad smiles as he looks at Emily.

"It's nice to finally meet you Emily. I'm so glad you could come this morning."

Emily smiles as she shakes his hand.

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad to be here."

"Good, have a good time and we will talk more after the service okay?"

Emily nods; agreeing.

"Sure, that would be fine."

Jordan's dad turns his attention back to his family and before long; Jordan's mom takes Elijah to children's church as the service begins to start. Jordan's dad excuses himself as he steps up to the pulpit to begin his sermon.

They all stand and begin the service with a prayer, and then they sing some hymns that Emily struggles her way through, and then the sermon. When the service is finally over, one of the elders of the church welcomes Emily to the church and gives her a Bible of her very own. Jordan's family invites her to go to lunch with them before they go to the hospital to see her dad. During lunch it gives Emily a chance to get to know everyone in the family a bit better. It turns out that they are all really good people who are genuinely nice. She really likes all of them and can't wait to introduce them to her family. Elijah is just the cutest little boy she has ever met. Before long, lunch is over as they head to the hospital.

Meanwhile...

Niles is just finishing up his physical therapy. The doctors are all impressed on how well he's doing. He was one of the lucky ones, he little to no permanent brain damage. He can talk, his motor skills are just fine, his upper body strength is normal, and so far has no side effects from the surgery. The only problem is the weakness in his lower body. His legs aren't functioning quite right. He has feeling in them and can move them, but the muscles are very weak. A wheelchair is going to be his friend for a while until he gets the strength back in his legs. This physical therapy is going to be just the thing he needs to get back on his feet again and Niles is determined to make that happen. He has missed holding his wife in his arms and once he is better, he's going to show her just how much he loves her. He also can't wait to get back to work; he has missed his patients and his job.

The nurse wheels Niles back to his room and helps him back to bed. Niles keeps checking the clock because he's anxiously waiting for Emily to show up with her friend. Just when he thinks he's missed her, she shows up.

She stands in the doorway holding the hand of a boy he assumes is Jordan.

"Hi daddy." she says with a smile.

Niles smiles at his daughter.

"Hello Emily, I'm so glad you showed up. I am so happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too daddy."

Niles holds his arms out for a hug as Emily runs to him and hugs him. She leaves Jordan standing by himself but for only a few moments. She then pulls out of the hug and gestures to Jordan.

"Come here, Jordan. I want you to meet my daddy."

Jordan approaches Niles' bed and suddenly acts very shy. When he reaches Niles' bed he smiles and stands there with his hands in his pockets.

"Daddy this is Jordan, Jordan this is my daddy."

Niles holds out his hand for a handshake as Jordan finally takes it and shakes it.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Jordan."

"It's nice to meet you too, sir."

Jordan pulls his hand away and sticks it back in his pocket. He continues to stand there acting all nervous and uncomfortable.

Niles breaks the silence.

"So are you taking good care of my daughter? I know you two have only known each other a short time but, she's my little girl and I just want to make sure she's taken care of."

Jordan smiles and nods.

"Yes, sir. I really like Emily and I can promise you that I only have her best interests at heart. She's a special girl and I'm glad I met her."

Emily gets embarrassed hearing that.

"Well I'm glad to hear that and from what I've seen I like you too. I know I can trust you and I hope I will get to see more of you in the future."

"You can count on that sir and my family and I are praying for your speedy recovery."

Niles smiles.

"Well thank you. I appreciate that and I know I will be out of here and back with my family in no time."

Emily loves the sound of that.

"I'm so happy to hear that daddy!" she squeals.

She wraps her daddy in a hug and holds him for a few minutes.

Jordan finally interrupts them.

"Well Emily my family is in the car waiting so we should probably get going."

Emily looks over at Jordan.

"Well okay then. See you later, daddy. I promise to stay longer next time."

"Okay, see you later you two."

"Bye." they both say as they wave as they are leaving.

Niles continues to watch the door even after they are gone. He is so happy to see his daughter so happy. He can't wait for the day that he can get out of this bed and this hospital and back home where he belongs and he will do anything to make that happen.

To be continued...


	30. Chapter 30

**I just wanted to let everyone know there is a bit of N/D steaminess in this chapter. I figured it was long overdue and I promise you there will be more later on in this story. Tell me what you think. :-)**

Chapter 30

By the time the school week started, Emily and Jordan were inseparable. They sat together at lunch, held hands in the hallway; he would come to her cheerleading practices after school, and sneak kisses when no one was looking. It is sure a far cry from what they were a week ago when either of them was too shy to even say hi to one another. Emily is grateful to Sarah and Katie for introducing her to Jordan because without them, she and Jordan wouldn't be where they are right now.

Emily now understands what her mother was talking about when she said she would change her mind about kissing a boy. Her mother was right, she loves being with Jordan and can't imagine not being with him. She respects what her parents have and why they have been together for so long. When you meet the right person, you just know it.

Daphne has been going to the hospital while the kids are at school to help with Niles' physical therapy. She is glad that they are allowing her to be a part of it because she wants to be part of Niles' recovery. The quicker it happens, the better. Ever since Niles has woken up from his coma, things with the family seem to be looking up. Emily has a boyfriend, Ashling has stopped cutting herself, and David has been doing better in school. David is very smart, like his dad, but since his dad has been in the hospital, his grades have suffered. His football coach was even threatening to kick him off the team despite him being one of the best players, due to his grades. David loves football, so that would have been devastating for him.

While helping with Niles' physical therapy, Niles reveals to Daphne that Roz and Donny are together and have been together for a while. Daphne is a bit shocked to hear that bit of news but not really surprised because Roz and Donny have a history. She's very happy for them and always hoped that Donny would find happiness again, and Lord knows, Roz needs a good man in her life. Also, Alice has always been fond of Donny so that is another plus.

Once Niles' physical therapy is over, Daphne takes him back to his room and they realize they have some time alone together. They decide to take advantage of it. Niles gets comfortable on the bed as Daphne sits down and faces him. She grabs one of his hands in hers and gives him a flirty smile. Niles feels his heart skip a beat as he reaches up to touch Daphne's face. He has missed this so much, has missed her so much. Daphne closes her eyes as she feels his hand on her cheek; it's amazing how they can say so much to each other without saying anything at all.

"I love you, Daphne." Niles says with desire in his eyes.

"I love you too, Niles." Daphne says as she leans in for a kiss.

They both savor the kiss as it gets deeper and more passionate. Niles hand reaches up and slides around to the back of Daphne's head as he pushes her face closer to him if that's even possible. Daphne does that thing with her tongue that Niles loves so much before pulling out of the kiss. It leaves Niles breathless as Daphne slides her lips along Niles' cheek and buries her face in his neck. She breathes in Niles' scent, a mixture of soap and sweat. It makes her dizzy. Before Daphne realizes what is happening Niles has slid his hand up inside her blouse and runs his fingers along her stomach and rib cage sending tingles throughout her body. Daphne gasps as his hand begins to search for the clasp on her bra. She sits up, Niles hand still hidden under her blouse.

"Niles, we're in a hospital!" Daphne whispers her voice still laced with desire.

Niles just looks at Daphne innocently.

"Well, you were the one that kissed me so what did you expect?" he manages to say.

"I'm sorry darling, I shouldn't have done that. It's just I have missed you so much."

"I feel the same way, Daphne. Looking at you and touching you is all I have thought about since I woke up. I can't explain the way you make me feel. Even though we have been married all these years, I still love you as much as the day I first met you and I can't imagine my life without you. You are the only woman I will ever feel this way about, you make me complete."

Daphne looks at Niles with her eyes full of love and admiration.

"Oh Niles, what did I ever do to deserve you and your love?"

"By just being you, that's more than enough for me."

Daphne leans in and gives Niles another spine shattering kiss as both of his hands find their way inside her blouse. Niles manages to find the clasp of her bra as he starts to unhook it as they continue to kiss. Once he has her bra undone his hands slide around and grab each side of her rib cage. With his hands securely around her rib cage, Niles fingers find themselves up inside her bra but before they reach their intended target Niles and Daphne are abruptly interrupted by Martin.

"Hey you two, knock it off! You're in a hospital for God sakes!"

Niles and Daphne give Martin that deer in the headlights look, the look that they were caught doing something they shouldn't have. After the initial shock, Niles' moves his hands away quickly as he grabs an extra pillow and places it over a certain area of his body. Daphne stands up and fixes her bra and blouse as she finally breaks the tension.

"Sorry Martin, I didn't know you and Ronee would be showing up today. We weren't expecting you."

Now it's Ronee's turn to say something.

"Well that's obvious. Who knows what would have happened if we hadn't showed up?"

Niles grabs Daphne's hand before speaking.

"Well Ronee, Daphne and I are married and what we were doing wasn't a crime. We love each other and aren't ashamed to show it."

Daphne just smiles as her face turns red from embarrassment.

She and Niles just look at one another for a moment before Martin and Ronee approach the bed.

Before long they are all engrossed in conversation and catching up on everything. Martin is anxious to meet Emily's new boyfriend and is really happy for Roz and Donny.

As Ronee and Daphne talk, Niles notices something off with his father and asks him about it.

"Dad are you all right? You are sweating an awful lot and you look like you are about to be sick."

Martin looks at his son with a clueless look on his face.

"I do? Well I better go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face; it is a bit warm in here."

Niles looks at his father.

"Dad, they have the fans running in here, it's not hot at all. Are you sure you're okay?"

Martin nods before answering.

"Yes I'm fine son, but I'm going to go splash some cold water on my face. I will be right back."

Niles nods as he watches his father, concerned. Martin hobbles to the bathroom and closes the door behind him.

Once in the bathroom, Martin wipes his forehead with a towel and the searches in his pockets for his pills. He finds the bottle and opens it.

_Damn._ He thinks to himself. _One pill left. _

He hurries up and takes it and waits a few moments. He then comes out of the bathroom and sees Niles, Daphne and Ronee just watching him.

He looks at the three of them and then looks back at his wife again.

"You know Ronee, maybe we should go on home. I think Niles was right, I'm a little tired and I would like to lie down for a while."

Ronee approaches her husband and grabs his arm.

"Are you sure, Marty?"

He nods.

"Yes, let's just go home, please."

Ronee looks at Niles and Daphne.

"Well it looks like we are going home. I guess we will see you two later."

Niles and Daphne both nod.

"I will stop by when I get a chance and see how you are feeling, Martin."

Martin stops and looks at Daphne and then nods.

"Thanks, Daph." he says with a smile.

Then he and Ronee are out the door and on their way home. Niles and Daphne just look at one another and shrug their shoulders. They both hope he is okay.

Daphne realizes how late it is and has to get going to pick the kids up since David's car is still at the shop.

"It's getting late and I need to go pick the children from school. I will be back tomorrow to see you, darling. I love you." Daphne explains.

"I love you, too and I will see you tomorrow. Please give the children big hugs and kisses for me and tell them I love them."

"I will, goodbye darling." Daphne says as she gives Niles a quick kiss before she leaves.

Things are finally starting to look up but what happens when Daphne visits Martin will be devastating. It will be devastating enough to shatter their world and things may never be the same...

To be continued...


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

A week later...

Since Niles is recovering so well, the doctor has allowed him to go home and continue his physical therapy as an outpatient. This is the best news they could have gotten. Niles is just glad to finally be out of the hospital and Daphne is happy to have him back home where he belongs. They can't wait to tell everyone the good news and surprise the kids.

Daphne is at the hospital helping Niles pack up his things so he can go home. Niles gets around really well on his motorized wheelchair, he just loves it. He rides around in that thing like he did years ago with the Segway. Thankfully, Niles' insurance covers the cost of the wheelchair and with Niles being a doctor; his hospital fees will be minimal. Daphne is worried that Niles won't want to give the wheelchair up once he is fully recovered.

Once Daphne has Niles' things all packed up, she hands him his bag as he places it on his lap while she grabs the suitcase. She makes sure she has her purse as they leave the room. Once out in the hallway, Niles spots a couple of his nurses and Niles being Niles has to thank them for taking such good care of him the whole time he was there. Daphne just smiles. She's lucky to have the best husband in the world.

Before long they are out the door and to the car. Daphne helps Niles get in the car and then she folds the chair up and sticks it in the trunk. She's glad the car has a big trunk because the chair barely fits in it. Once she has the chair securely in the trunk, she gets in the car herself, and before long she and Niles are on their way home. Niles just talks Daphne's ear off the whole car ride home. He had been stuck in the hospital for so long; he forgot what it was like to be outside. He loved the feel of the fresh air on his face, the feel of the breeze blowing, the smells, sights and sounds. He will never take anything like this for granted because as he learned while being sick, that life can go so quickly. There are so many things you can miss out on if you don't take the time to enjoy them while you can.

Niles had been talking so much that he didn't realize they were almost home. They only have a couple of blocks left. He can't keep the smile off his face. Daphne notices and has to say something.

"I take it from that smile that you are excited to be coming home?"

"You have no idea, Daphne. I have missed being home so badly. It will be nice to have things back to normal again."

Daphne smiles as she takes Niles' hand in hers.

"I feel the same way, dear."

Niles smiles back at his wife as he squeezes her hand.

They finally reach their driveway as Daphne pulls in and turns off the ignition. She gets out of the car and unlocks the front door. Once she has done that she goes back and gets the chair out of the trunk of the car. Once she gets it out, she unfolds it and takes it to Niles. She then helps him get in it. He takes over from there as she grabs the bag and suitcase from the backseat. She follows Niles up to the house. Thankfully she remembered to have a ramp installed right after Niles woke up. Niles rides up that ramp like an old pro. Once they finally make it in the house, Daphne takes Niles' things to the bedroom as Niles just looks around the house getting himself reacquainted with everything. After a bit he meets Daphne in the bedroom, he sees her bent over the open suitcase on the bed taking things out of it. She doesn't even realize Niles is there as he continues to watch her.

_Oh my God, she is so beautiful. I still can't believe after all these years that's she's really here and that she's really mine. I just love her so much; I love her like I have never loved another woman before. What is it about her that makes me love her so? She is one amazing human being. I can't wait to show her just how much I love her._ Niles thinks to himself.

Daphne finally notices Niles watching her.

"Niles is everything all right? You are being awfully quiet."

The sound of Daphne's voice; still thick with her Mancunian tongue, brings Niles back to reality. He looks at her.

"Sorry Daphne, yes I'm just fine. I was just watching you and trying to deal with the fact that you are still the most beautiful girl in the world."

Daphne becomes embarrassed and a bit shy as she gives Niles a cute smile.

"Oh Niles, I'm not that beautiful but it's sweet of you to say so."

"Well I will continue to say it for the rest of our lives because you will always be beautiful to me."

"Niles Crane, you are such a charmer, you know that?"

He just nods and gives Daphne a cute smile.

Daphne smiles back as she goes back to what she was doing. Niles rolls himself over to the other side of the bed and parks his chair so it faces the bed. Using his arms and his upper body strength he pushes himself up out of the chair and using the bed as leverage, he stands up, leaning against the bed as he swivels his body around and sits down on the bed. He scoots himself back up against the headboard and gets comfortable. He kicks his shoes off as they hit the floor next to the bed. He looks over at Daphne who is finishing putting his things away where they belong.

"Daphne, darling why don't you take a break and relax on the bed with me for a bit?"

"Well all right then, but only for a bit. The children will be home soon and I want to surprise them with your return."

Daphne climbs up on the bed and lies next to her husband. She snuggles up against him as he wraps his arm around her. He takes his free hand and tilts her head up towards his as he leans in for a kiss. Daphne kisses him back as her arm goes around his neck and the kiss gets deeper and more passionate. Niles rolls over and on top of Daphne without breaking the kiss until they both have to come up for air. He looks into Daphne's eyes as his finger caresses her cheek.

"I love you so much, Daphne and I'm going to show you just how much."

Daphne looks into Niles' baby blues with desire in her eyes.

"I love you too; Niles but we can't do anything right now."

Niles gives Daphne a confused look.

"How come, the kids aren't home yet and what better time than when they aren't home?"

"Well, they will be home soon and I don't want them to come home and find us, if you know what I mean."

Niles gets a mischievous look on his face as he leans in towards Daphne.

"Yes I do know what you mean, darling." he says as he captures Daphne's mouth once more.

Daphne knows that it will no good to argue with Niles anymore as she lets her defenses down and kisses him back with a passion she didn't know she possessed. She begins to unbutton Niles' shirt without breaking the kiss. She has to admit that she has really missed this and after all she did promise Niles that she would show him just how much she missed him if he would wake up. He did wake up and now she has to keep her promise to him because she is not one to break a promise. She finally manages to get Niles' shirt unbuttoned as she places her hands on his stomach and slides them up to his chest. Her fingers slide over the scar on his chest from his heart surgery all those years ago, and then make their way to his shoulders as she pushes his shirt down his arms. Niles breaks the kiss as he pins Daphne's arms above her head and begins kissing her neck. Daphne arches her head back to allow him more access as her leg wraps around him. Just when Daphne is about to completely give herself to Niles, she hears the front door. She stops what she is doing and tries to sit up.

"Niles, the children are home! I just heard the front door open!" Daphne says in a loud whisper.

Niles rolls himself off of Daphne with a moan as he sits up and puts his shirt back on properly. Daphne gets up off the bed, fixes her clothes and hair, takes a quick look in the mirror and then goes to greet her children.

Meanwhile...

All three of the kids come thundering in the front door oblivious to the fact that their dad is home. They saw their mother's car but thought nothing of it. David heads straight for the fridge for a snack, Emily heads straight for the phone waiting for Jordan to call and Ashling heads to her room to change clothes for dance class. Daphne comes out of her bedroom looking for the children. She spots Emily over by the phone and when Emily sees her mother she gets a surprised look on her face. She approaches her mother.

"Mum, what are you doing home? I thought you will still be at the hospital with Daddy."

"No I won't be staying at the hospital with your father anymore."

Emily gets a confused look on her face. Before she can say something David comes out of the kitchen carrying a big plate of pizza rolls in his hand and feeding his face with the other, he almost chokes as she sees his mother. After he gains his composure and swallows he can finally speak.

"Mum what are you doing here?"

"I was just asking the same question." Emily chimes in.

Ashling comes out of her room dressed in her leotard and sweats and when she reaches the living room, she stops in her tracks when she sees her mother. She opens her mouth to start to ask but Daphne interrupts her.

"Now that you are all here, I can tell you why I am home at this time of day. I have some really good news that I know you will want to hear."

David gives his mother an impatient look wanting her to get on with it already.

She looks at all three of her kids with a smile before speaking.

"I need the three of you to come to me bedroom, I have something to show you. Please follow me."

The kids just shake their heads and shrug as they follow their mother to the master bedroom. When Daphne reaches the door she stops and takes a deep breath before opening it. She pushes it open but stops the kids from entering for a moment as she peeks in and sees Niles sitting in his wheelchair looking out the window. She smiles as she steps aside and allows the kids to enter and once they spot their father, Daphne hears a scream from both of her daughters and a gasp from her son.

"Daddy you're home!" Ashling squeals.

Niles grins as he hugs his children.

"Yes, I'm home children, I'm home for good. There will be no more visiting me in the hospital and your mother will be doing my physical therapy. She will be taking me to the hospital for an hour every day until I'm on my feet again."

"That's just great, daddy!" Emily cries.

_Daphne just stands there and watches her children with their father with a big smile on her face. _

_Everything is going to be all right now. Things are just as they should be. They are a complete family once again._ Daphne thinks to herself.

But what Daphne doesn't know is that although things are good right now, it's not going to last. After everything that has happened to them, just when they think nothing else can go wrong they are hit with something so devastating that they may never be the same again. It will shake them all to their very core.

To be continued...


	32. Chapter 32

This chapter will get a bit steamy. I will try to hold myself back from making it too graphic. This is a treat for all of you for me being away from writing for so long. I hope you like it. I'm looking forward to your feedback. Enjoy!

Chapter 32

Later that night…

Daphne finishes her bubble bath as she pulls the drain plug from the tub. She stands up and grabs a towel as she steps out onto the bath mat. She dries herself off as she grabs her robe and ties it around her waist. She looks in the mirror as she takes her hair out of the clip and lets it fall down around her shoulders. She runs her fingers through it as she catches a slight whiff of her shampoo. She smiles as she takes one last look in the mirror before opening the door and turning off the light. Once she enters her bedroom, she sees Niles on the bed, lying under the covers reading a magazine. The only light in the room is the small lamp next to the bed.

Niles looks up at Daphne and smiles. She smiles back at him as she heads to her dresser to find some underwear and a nightgown to wear.

"Did you enjoy your bubble bath?" Niles asks.

Daphne stops and looks at her husband and nods.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I feel so much better."

Niles flashes a smile.

"Good I'm glad."

The way Niles smiles at her at that exact moment causes her heart to flutter in her chest. She puts her hand to her heart and closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath.

_Where did that come from? I haven't had that kind of physical reaction to Niles in a long time. I must really have missed him, after all it has been quite a while since he and I have been alone together like this. I really do love him. _

Niles watches Daphne and he becomes concerned.

"Daphne are you all right?"

Daphne opens her eyes and looks at her husband.

"Yes Niles, I'm just fine. The way you smiled at me just now made me feel good inside. It caught me a bit by surprise."

Niles grins at Daphne.

"It did huh?"

Daphne nods as she heads towards her dresser once again. She opens the top drawer and starts rifling through it to find herself a comfortable pair of underwear to wear. She finds a pair she likes and then closes the drawer. She then leans over and opens another drawer to find a nightgown. Before she can find one she likes Niles interrupts her by throwing a wadded up page from the magazine right at her rear end.

Daphne gaps and stands up straight. She turns and faces Niles with a look of shock on her face.

Niles just grins back at her acting all innocent.

Daphne gets back at him by picking up the wadded up ball and throwing it back at him. It hits him in the face and lands in his lap. He tosses his magazine aside and picks up the wadded up ball. He starts to throw it back at Daphne but she stops him by dropping her underwear and nightgown on the floor and jumping on the bed. She picks up a pillow and starts smacking Niles with it, before long they are both laughing as Niles tries to avoid getting smacked by the pillow.

They are having so much fun that the pillow falls on the floor on Niles' side of the bed. Daphne rolls over Niles and gets up to pick up the pillow. She leans over to pick up the pillow and then turns around to give it back to him. In doing so, Niles takes Daphne by surprise by grabbing the pillow from her and throwing it on the bed next to him. He then grabs the belt on Daphne's robe and pulls her towards him.

Daphne gives him a look of surprise.

"Niles what are you doing?"

He looks at Daphne with a serious look on his face.

"Making good on the promise I made to you after I woke up."

Daphne acts all innocent and pretends like she has no idea what he's talking about.

"And what was that, darling?"

"Ravishing your beautiful body all night long."

Daphne gasps as she feels her heart flutter in her chest again. She can feel the stirring in her middle as Niles starts to undo the belt on her robe. Once he has it undone, he opens her robe just enough to expose her toned stomach. He runs his hands across it, just admiring it. This is the same beautiful stomach that carried their three beautiful children. Niles can't help but lean forward and place his lips upon her soft skin. He closes his eyes and just savors this moment as he feels Daphne's hand on his head. He opens his eyes and looks up at her. She gives him a sultry look, the same look she gave him after their first kiss on the balcony all those years ago.

Niles feels the breath catch in his throat as Daphne reaches up and pulls her robe off her shoulders and lets it fall to the floor. It pools around her feet. As she stands there in all her glory, Niles looks her up and down memorizing and admiring every inch of her perfect, beautiful body. He then takes her hands in both of his and pulls her towards him as she joins him on the bed. She lays over his body which is covered in sheets and blankets. His hands wrap around her bare back as he pulls her closer to him. They look into each other eyes as Daphne places her lips on his.

The kiss gets deeper and more passionate as Daphne slides her tongue inside Niles' slightly parted lips. This awakens something in Niles as he rolls Daphne over and is now on top. He pulls out of the kiss and looks into Daphne's chocolate brown eyes.

"I love you, Daphne. I love you so much."

Daphne looks into Niles' beautiful blue eyes as she reaches up and caresses his cheek.

"I love you too, Niles. I always will."

Niles smiles as he places his lips back on hers.

Before long, Daphne finds herself joining her husband under the covers. Their nude bodies are pressed together as they rediscover each other emotionally and physically.

The next morning…

Daphne and Niles are still sound asleep. Daphne is draped over Niles with her head on his chest. Her bare back is exposed as what is left of the covers are just covering her rear end. One of Niles' bare legs are exposed and the rest is either covered with what is left of the covers or Daphne. They really wore themselves out the night before. As tired as they are, nothing could wake them up.

Meanwhile…

Emily and Ashling are in the kitchen having breakfast. David is taking a shower before school. The girls are talking and laughing. They are both in good moods because they are happy their father is finally home. They are a family once again. As the girls are talking David comes into the kitchen fresh from his shower. He goes to the fridge to get himself some juice. As he is getting a glass out of the cabinet, he sees his sisters sitting at the table. Once he has his juice, he joins his sister at the table.

"Good morning, you two." David says.

Emily and Ashling stop what they are doing and look at their brother before answering.

"Good morning." they both say.

"Are mum and dad awake yet?"

Emily shakes her head.

"No, not yet and it's really strange. Mum is usually the first one awake and to get us up. We had to get ourselves up this morning."

David gets a confused look on his face.

"Hmmm."

The silence is broken when the phone rings. Since Emily is closer to the phone, she's the one to get up answer it.

She picks up the phone on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Emily its Grammy Ronee. May I speak to your mother please?"

"Hi Grammy, mum isn't awake yet. Let me see if I can wake her. Hold on."

Emily sets the receiver down on the counter as she heads towards her parents' room. Once there, she tries the knob but it's locked so she knocks. She doesn't get a response, so she knocks a little harder.

"Mum, its Emily. Are you awake?"

Daphne opens her eyes as she hears knocking on the bedroom door. It takes her a few moments to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She sits up in bed, stretches and yawns. Then she looks down and realizes she isn't wearing her nightgown. She gasps as she covers herself with one arm as she gets up and puts her underwear and robe on.

She hears the knocking again and then her daughter's voice.

"Mum, wake up! Grammy Ronee's on the phone!"

Daphne finally finds her voice as she answers her daughter.

"Okay, I will be right there Emily!"

The noise wakes up Niles as he begins to stir. He opens his eyes and then sits up. He yawns and stretches. He then looks down at himself and realizes that he's naked. He gives a mischievous smile as he reaches over the side of the bed and grabs his boxers from off the floor. He then sits on the edge of the bed as scoots himself down and reaches for his chair at the end of the bed. Once he gets in his chair he rolls himself over the closet and grabs his robe and puts it on. He then goes to join his family.

Daphne finally makes it to the phone. She picks up the extension in the living room and has Emily hang up the one in the kitchen.

"Hello Ronee, I'm sorry about that. I overslept this morning."

"Hi Daphne and yes I can tell that you overslept. You never oversleep. Were you that tired?"

Daphne gets a bit embarrassed.

"Yes I was but I don't want to get into that right now. So why did you call, what did you need?"

"I was wondering if you could come over this afternoon. Marty isn't feeling too well and he asked to see you. Besides I have some things to do today and I would really appreciate it."

"Sure, I can come by and spend some time with Martin for a while. I will come over after Niles' physical therapy. "

"Okay, great. I will see you later this afternoon then, Daphne."

"See you then, Ronee. Goodbye."

Daphne hangs up the phone and heads to the kitchen to make herself some coffee and to see her family.

Later that afternoon…

Daphne is driving to Martin and Ronee's house after dropping Niles off at the house. He wants to relax and be there when the children get home from school.

Daphne makes it to their house and pulls into the driveway. She turns off the ignition, grabs her keys and purse and walks up to the door. She knocks on the door and within a few minutes, Ronee comes to the door to greet her and let her in.

"Hi Daphne, thanks so much for coming. Marty has been asking for you all day. He's back in the bedroom lying down. I will be back in a little while."

"Okay Ronee see you later and don't worry I will take good care of Martin."

Ronee smiles and nods as she closes the door behind her.

Daphne drops her purse off in the chair as she heads to the bedroom. Once e she gets to the bedroom the door is open so Daphne walks right in. She seen Martin lying down with his eyes closed. He looks pale, not like himself at all. It almost breaks Daphne's heart to see him like this.

She sits down on the bed next to him and grabs his hand.

"Martin, its Daphne. Ronee said you have been asking for me all day and you wanted to see me. I'm here now, so what did you want?"

Martin doesn't respond at all. Daphne starts to become concerned.

With her hand still holding his, she taps the back of his hand to try to wake him.

"Martin, wake up! Martin? Open your eyes, it's me Daphne."

She can't get a response out of him at all. Daphne begins to panic. She gets up and grabs a mirror off the dresser and takes it back over to where Martin is laying. She holds it under his nose to see if she can see his breath. The mirror doesn't fog up which means he isn't breathing. She starts to tear up as she leans over to listen to his chest. She doesn't hear his heartbeat which means the one thing she doesn't want to think about. The tears well up in Daphne's eyes as everything she sees becomes blurred. Her tear filled eyes spot a picture on the nightstand next to the bed. Daphne sits up, wipes her eyes and picks up the picture. It's a picture of Martin and David when they went to the Cubs game in Chicago when David was still a boy. Daphne smiles as she looks at the picture. David is wearing the Cubs t-shirt and cap that Frasier got him and Martin is wearing his Cubs sweatshirt. David is laughing as Martin is looking at him and smiling with his arm around him.

A fresh set of tears form in Daphne's eyes as she sets the photo down, she then spots another picture behind the alarm clock. Daphne picks it up as the tears fall down her cheeks. It's a picture of Frasier and Niles when they were boys. They are both dressed up in suits; Frasier has his arm around Niles' shoulder. They both managed to smile a bit while still looking smart and handsome. Martin was so proud of his sons. She sees how much David takes after Niles as she looks at the picture one more time. She smiles for a moment. How is she going to tell everyone that Martin has died? Daphne thinks about this as she sets the photo back down. She looks back over at Martin as she takes his hand in hers once more. It's become cold to the touch. She places it against her cheek and closes her eyes for a moment. She opens her eyes and looks at her father –in-law. He was more like a father to her than a father –in-law. All the years she spent as his physical therapist before becoming part of the family, she created a bond with him that she didn't have with her own father. She will never forget all the times they shared. He was a stubborn, rotten, old sod at times but he was a good man and a great father and she will always love him.

She hated that even though she was close to him she could never call him "dad" because to her he really was "dad". She let go of his hand and put it back down at his side. She leans over and kisses his forehead.

"Goodbye, Mart-I mean Dad. I love you and will miss you, you old sod." Daphne says as she breaks down crying.

_Damn. _

To be continued...


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

A short time later...

Daphne is finally able to pull herself together and call Ronee. Once she has talked to Ronee and she knows Ronee is on her way home, she remembers that Belle is outside in the backyard.

Daphne goes to let Belle in and in doing so she kicks something across the kitchen floor. She goes over to pick it up and once she does, she realizes it's a prescription pill bottle. She reads the label.

CRANE, MARTIN

DR. BAXTER

TAKE CAPSULE AS NEEDED FOR CHEST PAIN. PLACE ON TONGUE AND ALLOW TO DISSOLVE.

NITROGLYCERIN 6.5 MG CAPSULE

Her hand flies up to her mouth as her eyes fill with tears. She begins to cry again and just when she thought she was all out of tears.

"Oh Martin why didn't you tell us you had a heart condition?! We would have been there for you, we would have helped you! Damn!" Daphne screams as she throws the pill bottle across the kitchen.

Belle sees it and runs after it, she picks it up and brings it back to Daphne. She lays it at her feet and then looks up at Daphne and whines. Daphne wipes the tears from her eyes and looks down at Belle.

"No, Belle this isn't a toy." she says as she picks up the bottle and puts it in her pocket.

Belle just whines as she continues to look up at Daphne. Belle reminds Daphne so much of Eddie. But it's not surprising since Belle is the daughter of one of Eddie's kids. That's the main reason the kids chose her, they knew she was related to Eddie and that he was very special to their grandfather. By choosing Belle, they were giving him a part of Eddie back. Belle was very special to Martin and she had captured everyone's hearts, even Niles who isn't a big fan of dogs or animals in general.

Daphne picks up Belle and scratches her ears and Belle reciprocates by licking Daphne's face as her little tail wags wildly. Daphne manages to smile a little through the pain she is feeling over losing Martin. Dogs have a way of making everyone feel better, even for a little while. She wonders how long it will be before Belle realizes that Martin is gone and is never coming back. How will she deal with it? Daphne remembers how depressed Eddie got over losing his favorite doll so anything is possible.

Daphne hears Ronee come in the front door. She heads to the living room to greet Ronee while carrying Belle.

Ronee looks at Daphne and smiles but Daphne doesn't smile back. She gives Ronee a sad look as she pets Belle.

"Okay Daphne, I don't like that look you are giving me and your phone call sounded serious. What is going on?" Ronee asks with a tone of worry and concern in her voice.

"Follow me to the bedroom, Ronee." Daphne says as she takes a step towards the bedroom.

Ronee gives Daphne a confused look but follows her.

What Ronee discovers will end up not only changing her life but will rock her to her very core.

Meanwhile...

Niles is back at the house sitting in his wheelchair looking at photo albums. He is trying to pass the time waiting for the children to get home. He's very anxious for Daphne to get home because he has a very special surprise for her. He wants to do this for her after everything she has done for him; and not just what she has done recently but since the first day they met. Niles doesn't know what he would do without Daphne in his life and how he ever got along with out her before she entered his life. He counts his blessings everyday for the beautiful family he has made.

As he flips through the pages of pictures, he stops on one of him and his dad. He and Martin are both smiling as Martin has his arm around Niles. That was the day that Martin found out he was going to be a grandfather again, Niles was going to be a daddy. It was the happiest day of both of their lives. So much has changed since that picture was taken, some good and some bad but he wouldn't change it for the world.

The children finally come home as the front door opens and in enters David by himself. Niles looks at his son, confused.

"David, where are your sisters?" Niles asks.

David looks over at his father as he closes the door behind him.

"Oh hi dad. Emily is at Jordan's and Ashling had me drop her off at dance class right after school. I have to go pick her up later."

Niles nods and smiles at David.

"Oh okay, I'm glad your home son."

David smiles back.

"Right dad, and I'm glad you're home too. I'll be in my room doing my homework if you need me." David explains.

Niles acknowledges his son with a nod as he watches him leave. Before long he hears he door open as Daphne enters. He smiles, happy to see her beautiful face. He grabs the surprise he has for her as he wheels himself closer to her to greet her.

"Hello Daphne my love, welcome home. I missed you, darling." he says as he hold up a huge bouquet of red roses.

Daphne looks at the flowers and then at her husband with a look of total sorrow on her face. She takes the flowers as the tears well up in her eyes again.

Niles looks at Daphne with concern as he grabs one of her hands in his.

"What you don't like the flowers, darling?"

Daphne manages a smile as she takes a whiff of the roses. The strong smell permeates her nostrils.

"No, I love them, they're beautiful." she explains.

"Then what's the matter, my love." Niles asks, concerned.

Daphne looks Niles straight in the eyes.

"Niles, we need to talk."

To be continued...


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Niles just gives Daphne a look of confusion.

"Daphne, what's going on? Why do we need to talk?" Niles asks with an edge of concern in his voice.

Daphne just looks at Niles with tears in her eyes, the roses still clutched in her hand.

She realizes she can't tell him just yet, so she walks to the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers. Niles follows her in his wheelchair as he watches her grab a vase from out of the cabinet and fill it with water. As she puts the flowers in the vase, he asks her again.

"Daphne, what's going on? I want to know, please tell me!" Niles cries.

Daphne closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Once she lets the breath out she turns and faces her husband and opens her eyes.

"Where are the children, Niles?" Daphne asks; avoiding Niles' question.

"David is in his room doing his homework, Emily is at Jordan's and Ashling is at dance class. David will be picking her up later."

Daphne nods as she heads to the living room and sits down on the sofa. She turns and looks at her husband.

"Niles darling, please join me over here. I think it's time we finally had that talk."

Niles wheels himself over to the couch and faces Daphne. She takes his hands in hers and looks Niles right in the eyes.

"Niles, I'm afraid I have some really bad news. This is so hard for me to say; as a matter of fact this is the hardest thing I have ever had to tell you."

Daphne takes a deep breath to keep herself from crying again.

"What is it, Daphne? Just please tell me." Niles begs.

Daphne squeezes Niles' hands tighter in hers.

"Niles, your father died this afternoon."

Niles gives Daphne a look of disbelief.

"I'm sorry darling, what did you say?" Niles asks.

"Your father died this afternoon. I found him lying in bed, he died in his sleep. I'm so sorry, darling."

Niles lets go of Daphne's hands and shakes his head pretending he didn't hear what Daphne just said.

"No, that's not true. I just talked to him yesterday, he was fine. He had to of been sleeping Daphne when you found him. He's not dead, he just can't be! My father isn't dead, do you hear me?!" Niles screams as he drops his head into his hands and cries.

Daphne just watches her husband for a few moments as she begins to cry again herself.

_Bloody hell, will these tears ever stop? _She thinks to herself.

She wipes her eyes and stands up as she looks at Niles one more time. He is still crying into his hands with his head down. She decides to leave him alone for a while.

"Niles, I'm going to go talk to David so you can be alone, okay?"

Niles only half acknowledges her as he nods, never looking up.

Daphne just shakes her head, her eyes still wet with tears. She turns on her heels and walks to David's room. She stands in front of his door, takes a deep breath and wipes her eyes and then knocks.

She doesn't get a response from her son so she knocks a bit harder.

"David, it's mum, may I come in?" she asks.

"Yes mum come on in, it's open."

Daphne turns the knob and pushes the door open; she steps in and closes the door behind her. She looks up and sees her son typing away on his computer. She smiles as she sits down on the edge of his bed. It gives her a few minutes to look around David's room. It has been awhile since she has been in here. Yeah she was in here a week ago to turn the TV off but it was late and it was dark, so she didn't really see much. As she looks around the room, she notices that David keeps his room pretty clean for a teenage boy, that is one trait that she is glad he inherited from his father. Her brothers are so disgusting and slovenly and it makes her sick to think about it. She's glad her son isn't like that. He even has posters of David Beckham on his walls. She smiles remembering when she used to watch him play for Manchester United and having a bit of a crush on him then but of course he married Victoria Addams from the pop group the Spice Girls. Man that was such a long time ago!

Daphne also notices architectural drawings of different various buildings as well as regular drawings that David has done over the years. She sees his bookshelf full of books; most of them are books that Niles bought him when he first started reading. Niles so wanted David to be interested in literature and do a lot of reading but unfortunately that didn't happen. Of course David didn't want to hurt his father's feelings so he took them to be nice. Daphne also spots all of the various trophies David has one for one sport or another, of which Martin was proud of and bragged about for weeks. That makes Daphne's breath catch in her throat as she works at keeping herself from crying again. She still can't believe Martin is gone; it still doesn't even seem real.

David gets his mother's attention by scooting his desk chair over to where she is sitting on the bed.

"So mum, what did you need?" David asks.

Daphne looks at her son and smiles before answering. He looks more and more like his father every day.

"David, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I don't know how to tell you this but I visited your grandfather this afternoon while Grammy Ronee went to run some errands."

David nods.

"Yes, and?"

"I'm sorry but your grandfather died." Daphne tells her son as the tears form in her eyes.

David looks away from his mother for a moment before speaking.

"So does Dad know? Have you told him?" David asks with tears in his eyes.

Daphne nods.

"Yes, your father knows. I told him first." Daphne sniffles.

David just nods as he looks down trying to hide his tears.

"David, you don't have to be afraid to cry. It's really okay to cry if you want to."

David swallows and looks up at his mother as a tear falls down his cheek. They look at each other for a few moments, not saying a word. Then suddenly Daphne grabs her son and wraps him in a hug. Then it's as if a dam bursts and they both break down and cry.

To be continued…


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

A short time later…

David has to go and pick up Ashling from dance class but since he still so distraught from hearing of his grandfather's death, Daphne volunteers to go pick her up. Daphne is clearly upset over Martin's death but at this point she has to be the strong one for everyone. Everyone was there for her when Niles was sick and now it's her turn to be there for them no matter how difficult it may be.

As Daphne gets ready to go pick up Ashling, she sees Niles on the phone talking to someone. When she left him he was crying uncontrollably and was inconsolable, now he is acting like nothing is wrong. Niles always tries to act like he's okay in a crisis, until it just all comes crashing down on him. Ashling is the same way when Niles was sick, she was cutting herself in order to hide the fact that she was really in pain seeing her dad so sick. They are so alike in many ways. Daphne realizes that out of the three, Ashling is the most like Niles. Ashling may look the most like Daphne but she takes more after her father in most everything else. Daphne thinks about this as she grabs her purse to leave but before she can get a foot out the door, Niles stops her.

"Daphne, I was just on the phone with Frasier, and he wants me to meet him at Nervosa for a coffee; can you drop me off on your way to wherever you are going?"

Daphne nods and smiles at her husband, "Sure, I can drop you off before I pick up Ashling from dance class."

Niles smiles at her and grabs her hand. "Thank you."

Daphne smiles back as she squeezes his hand.

"Are you ready to go, darling?" Daphne asks.

Niles nods. "Yes, let's go. I'm anxious to see Frasier and catch up. I haven't seen him since I woke up. I want to spend as much time with him as I can before he goes back to Chicago."

"It has been great having him here all this time; I have missed him and Charlotte." Daphne explains as she and Niles head out to the car.

They continue their conversation as Daphne helps Niles in the car and puts his wheelchair in the trunk. Before long they are on the road and on their way to Nervosa.

Meanwhile at Nervosa…

Frasier sits at a table by the door as he waits for his brother to arrive. Niles sounded so strange on the phone earlier when he called. Frasier is anxious to find out what is going on and can't wait for Niles to arrive. He's actually glad to have this time with Niles since he and Charlotte are going back to Chicago soon. It's time to get back to normal life again which means work and less family.

Frasier sees his brother come in as he stands up to greet him.

Niles spots his brother and rolls himself over to him.

"Hello Frasier, it's good to see you."

Frasier takes Niles' hand in his.

"Hello Niles, it's good to see you too. I have a table for us, won't you follow me?"

Niles nods as he follows his brother to the table. He rolls his wheelchair up next to the table as Frasier joins him.

As he sits down, he looks at Niles' wheelchair.

"How much longer do you think you'll need to be in that chair?" Frasier asks.

"Hopefully not too much longer. My physical therapy is going great; Daphne is taking really good care of me."

Frasier smiles, "Of course she is, she just has a way with people."

Niles nods and smiles back, "You don't have to tell me that, Frasier. That's what attracted me to her in the first place; it wasn't just the physical you know? Well maybe at first but I did see her loving and giving nature and I just fell in love with her even more if that's possible."

"It's possible, Niles. I feel that way every time I look at Charlotte." Frasier replies.

A waitress approaches them to take their orders.

"What can I get for you gentlemen, this evening?"

Frasier orders first.

"I'll have a latte."

The waitress writes down Frasier's order.

Niles then tells her what he wants.

"I'll have a half-calf cappuccino with light foam and a sprinkling of nutmeg."

The waitress nods as she writes down his order and then leaves to make their coffees.

Frasier focuses his attention on his brother.

"So Niles, are you going to tell me the real reason why you wanted to meet me here?"

Niles looks at his brother before answering.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Frasier. It's about dad."

Frasier gives Niles a questioning look.

"What about dad, is he in the hospital again? Is his hip giving him trouble again?"

Niles shakes his head, "No I'm afraid it's much worse than that, Frasier. It's much, much worse than that. I'm sorry I have to tell you this but dad died this afternoon."

"What?" he asks not believing what he just heard.

"Dad died this afternoon. Daphne went by his house to see him and she found him in his bed. He died in his sleep."

Frasier isn't one to cry much but hearing that his father died, triggered something in him as he breaks down crying. He drops his head onto the table and just cries. Niles watches him as he begins to cry again himself. He puts his hand on Frasier's back to give him some kind of comfort as the waitress brings them their coffees. She gives Niles a look of confusion as he just nods at her. She understands as she puts the drinks down on the table and leaves.

Frasier looks up at his brother, his face wet with tears. Niles looks back at his brother, his face wet with tears as well. He looks at Frasier with a mix of pain and sympathy on his face.

"I can't believe dad is gone, Niles. He's really gone." Frasier says as he hugs his brother.

Niles hugs his brother back, "I know, Frasier. I know."

Meanwhile...

Daphne has just picked up Ashling from dance class and they are on their way home. Ashling has been talking nonstop from the moment her mother picked her up, and Ashling picks up on how quiet her mother is being. It's very unusual for her mother to be this quiet unless there is something going on.

"Mummy, is there something wrong? You are being really quiet."

Daphne looks over at her daughter.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie. Yeah I have something on me mind."

Ashling gives her mother a questioning look.

"Well what is it?" she asks.

"I would rather wait and tell you and your sister together, if that's all right?"

Ashling shrugs her shoulders.

"Sure I guess, have you told Davey already?"

Daphne nods.

"Yes your brother knows."

Ashling nods.

"Oh okay. Is it good news or bad news, mummy?"

"I'm afraid it's not good, sweetie."

Ashling gets a look of worry across her face.

"Is it daddy, is he sick again? Is he back in the hospital again?"

Daphne grabs her daughter's hand for reassurance.

"No it's not your daddy. He's doing just fine."

Ashling lets out the breath she was holding and smiles.

"Good because I don't think I could handle it if daddy was sick again."

Daphne smiles at her daughter and then she realizes they are home. She pulls into the driveway and turns off the ignition. Ashling gathers her things together as they both get out of the car and go inside. As soon as they get in the house, they hear David and Emily yelling at one another.

"What in the world is going on?" Daphne asks to anyone who is listening as she goes to find out what is wrong. Ashling follows her and once they get to David and Emily, Daphne sees Emily kicking and punching her brother.

She gets a look of shock and disbelief on her face as she grabs her daughter and pulls her off her brother.

"What in God's name is going on in here?! Emily, why are you beating up your brother?" Daphne asks.

Emily looks at her mother before answering.

"David is a big fat liar and a bully, mum!" as she points at him.

"Why do you say that, Emily?" Daphne asks.

"He just told me that grandpa died, but that can't be true right, mum?! Grandpa's not dead is he?!" Emily screeches.

Daphne gives her daughter a sympathetic look as tears form in her eyes.

"I'm afraid it's true, sweetie. Your grandfather died this afternoon, I'm so sorry, Emily."

Daphne starts to reach out to comfort her daughter, but Emily glares at her and pushes her away.

"No, grandpa isn't dead, mummy! He's not!" Emily screams as the tears pour down her face. She runs to her room and slams the door.

Daphne then hears sobs behind her and realizes that Ashling just heard everything. She turns to look at her daughter and sees her crying. Daphne reaches out to comfort her as Ashling falls into her mother's arms and just breaks down. David just stands there watching them as he begins to cry again himself. Daphne hears him, looks up and reaches for him. He falls to his knees and into his mother's arms as they all three cry together.

This is just the beginning...

To be continued...


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Later that evening...

After Niles got home from Nervosa, Frasier came in with him to see everyone and visit for a bit; they are all just devastated and stunned over losing Martin. Emily wouldn't even come out of her room to see her Uncle Frasier while he was there, she was just too distraught. They just let her stay in her room; she didn't even want any dinner.

Daphne knew that Emily would come out of her room when she was ready; she was the same way at that age. Emily is the most like Daphne in personality and temper. Just like Ashling is exactly like her father, Emily is just like Daphne. This is all so hard on everyone, they just didn't realize how hard losing Martin would be on all of them.

Frasier finally leaves as he has to get back to Charlotte at their hotel. As it turns out Emily calls Jordan to come over and when he shows up, everyone is shocked to see him because it's so late. He explains that Emily insisted that he come over right away. Daphne lets Emily know that Jordan is there.

She knocks on Emily's door but she gets no answer so she knocks again.

"Emily, Jordan is here. He said you called him to come over and he really wants to see you."

After a few minutes Daphne hears Emily unlock her door and she steps back when Emily opens it. Emily looks up at her mother; her eyes and face are red and swollen from crying. Daphne wants so bad to reach out and comfort her daughter, but she holds herself back. Emily will come to her when she is good and ready.

Emily comes out of her room and joins Jordan on the sofa. He puts his arm around her as she lays his head on him.

"So what's the matter that you needed me to come over so late, Emily?" Jordan asks.

Emily sits up and looks at him, his arm still around her.

"My grandfather died today, Jordan." Emily explains with tears in her eyes.

Jordan wraps her in a hug.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Emily. I know how close you were to him."

Emily nods as she sniffles and wipes her nose with her hand. She spots her mom watching them and pulls out of the hug.

"Mum, could you please leave us alone for a bit? I really just want to talk to Jordan alone."

"Yes, I will leave you alone but I don't want Jordan here too late, okay?" Daphne exclaims.

Jordan looks over at Daphne.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Crane, I promise I will leave soon, I just really want to be here for Emily."

Daphne smiles and nods as she excuses herself to her room to check on Niles.

Jordan focuses all his attention back on Emily as he looks at her.

"I'm here for you Emily, whatever you need."

"Thank you so much, Jordan. You don't know how much it means to me that you are here." Emily says as she hugs Jordan once more.

"You know I really care about you and your family."

Emily smiles as she pulls out of the hug.

"I'm glad you said that because there is something I need to ask you."

Jordan gives Emily a questioning look.

"What is it, Emily?" he asks.

"I was wondering if your dad could perform my grandpa's funeral."

Jordan just looks at Emily, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion.

Meanwhile in Daphne and Niles' room...

When Daphne goes into her room, she sees Niles lying on the bed in his robe. He has his arms tucked under his head as he stares at the ceiling. She approaches him and sits on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Niles, are you all right darling?" she asks.

Niles looks over at Daphne, the tears brimming his eyes. He smiles at seeing her beautiful face. He takes her hand in his.

"Yes, I'm fine, Daphne. I'm just thinking about Dad, I still can't believe he's gone."

Tears well up in Daphne's eyes.

"I know, Niles, I know. I can't believe it either. It doesn't even seem real and I'm the one who found him." Daphne chokes up.

Niles squeezes Daphne's hand harder.

"We will all get through this together, as a family. We have each other and we can make it. I know we can." Niles explains.

Daphne nods and smiles as she wipes her eyes with her free hand. Niles lets go of her hand and pulls her into a hug. They hold each other until they are interrupted by their daughter.

"Mummy, daddy, may I come in? I need to talk to you!" Emily cries.

Daphne pulls out of the hug to answer her daughter.

"Yes, please come in Emily." Daphne tells her daughter as she wipes her eyes.

Emily enters the bedroom and sees her parents on the bed.

"I didn't interrupt anything did I?" she asks.

Niles and Daphne both laugh as they look at their daughter.

"No Emily, your father and I were just talking about your grandfather." Daphne explains.

"Oh okay, well I just wanted to let you and daddy know that Jordan's dad may be able to perform grandpa's funeral. He's going to talk to his dad and let me know. Isn't that great?!"

Niles smiles at his daughter before answering.

"That's great news, Emily. We hadn't even begun funeral arrangements yet, so thanks for asking him."

"No thank you daddy!" Emily squeals as she runs to her father for hug.

Daphne moves out of the way as to not get run over as she watches them hug.

"Good night, daddy. I love you."

"Good night, Emily. I love you, too."

Emily climbs off the bed and starts to leave as Daphne watches her, and then suddenly Emily stops, turns and runs to her mother and wraps her arms around her, almost knocking her over.

"Goodnight, mum. I love you."

Daphne chokes up as she hugs her daughter back.

"Goodnight, Emily. I love you, too."

Emily pulls out of the hug, gives both of her parents a smile as she is leaving and then closes the door behind her.

Niles takes Daphne's hand in his, she looks over at him, he smiles at her, and she smiles back at him.

Yeah, they're going to get through this just fine.

To be continued...


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Two days later...

It's the day of Martin's funeral and everyone is running around the house getting ready. Frasier, Niles, and Ronee made all the funeral arrangements. Since Jordan's father agreed to perform the funeral, they decided to have it at the church that Jordan's father preaches at.

Everyone is going to meet at Niles and Daphne's house before they go to the funeral, since there is going to be a procession, everyone attending the funeral will be following the hearse. So it's better if everyone is gathered together in one place so they can just leave together.

Daphne is wearing her black knee length dress with a matching jacket, her pearls, and black heels, Emily is wearing her black skirt with her black boots, her black blouse with hearts sequined onto it and her locket necklace, Ashling is wearing her black flowy dress with her black sweater, her black flats and her locket necklace. Niles is wearing his black Armani suit, with his black and white striped tie, and David is wearing his black suit with his black tie and he hates it.

He can't get his tie tied straight, so he finds his mother to help him tie it. Daphne is running around making sure the girls are ready and helping Niles get dressed, since he struggles being in his wheelchair and it doesn't help that he keeps flirting with Daphne as she helps dress him. He just can't resist her in her dress. David finally finds his mother.

"Mum, I can't get my tie straight, can you please fix it?!" David whines.

Daphne stops what she is doing as she helps David with his tie.

"David you're 16 years old for heaven's sake and you can't even tie your own tie!" Daphne admonishes her son.

"Sorry, mum you know how much I hate dressing up!"

Daphne smiles as she finishes up David's tie.

"Yes I know you do and there you go it's done."

David smiles as he looks at himself in the mirror.

"Wow, thanks mum, you're good at this!"

Daphne gets a bit embarrassed and brushes off her son's compliment.

"Well, it helps growing up with eight brothers you know, so I had a lot of practice."

David nods and smiles.

"Yeah, well thanks again, mum." he says as he leaves.

Daphne just rolls her eyes and smiles as she turns her attention back to her husband and sees him buttoning up his jacket and fixing his tie. When he finishes, he turns and faces his wife.

"So how do I look, Daphne?" he asks.

Daphne smiles as she approaches him.

"You look very dashing, dear."

Niles gets a cute smile on his face.

"Well thank you, Mrs. Crane, and I have to say you look ravishing today."

Daphne laughs and rolls her eyes.

"Niles, that's like the millionth time you have said that today!"

"I know and I will say it a million times more because it's so true, Daphne."

Niles then grabs Daphne's hand and pulls her down into his lap as she screams and laughs. He wraps his arms around her as he starts kissing her neck and then her cheek and then finally her mouth. Daphne wraps her arms around Niles' neck as the kiss gets deeper and more passionate.

They continue to kiss like that until they are interrupted by Roz clearing her throat and then knocking on the door jamb. Niles and Daphne both look up startled.

"Hello you two, I hate to interrupt but more people are showing up and I figured since it's your house, you want to be out there being host and hostess." Roz explains.

Daphne stands up and fixes her dress and hair as Niles straightens up his jacket and tie once more.

"Yes, thanks Roz for letting us know, we will be right there." Daphne replies.

Roz nods and turns on her heels as she puts her hair behind her ear, and in doing so the light sparkles off the massive diamond ring on her finger.

Daphne notices this and screams. She runs to Roz and grabs her hand to look at the ring.

"Oh my God, Roz look at that rock! It's gorgeous!" Daphne cries.

Roz grins at Daphne, who is still looking at the ring.

"Yeah, Donny proposed to me two days ago. We are getting married in two months."

Daphne drops Roz hand and wraps her friend in a hug.

"I'm so happy for you Roz, for both you and Donny! It's about time you found happiness with each other."

Niles can't help but overhear as he wheels himself over to Daphne and Roz.

"Yes congratulations Roz, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Niles, thanks Daphne."

Daphne pulls out of the hug with a huge smile still plastered on her face.

"Well we better get out there before every one wonders what happened to us." Daphne says.

Niles and Roz both nod as they follow Daphne out of the bedroom.

Meanwhile...

Frasier, Charlotte, Ronee, Donny, and the kids are all in the living room talking and mingling with each other. Niles, Daphne and Roz finally make it into the living room. Roz makes a beeline for her fiancé as he wraps his arm around her and they kiss.

Jordan finally shows up to be with Emily as Emily introduces him to the ones he hasn't met yet. Then everyone gets to talking about their memories of Martin, the starts to make David very uncomfortable and sad so he excuses himself. He goes to his room and grabs his basketball and on his way back, Daphne sees him with his basketball and stops him.

"David, what are you doing with that basketball?"

"I can't be in here right now, mum. I'm going to the backyard to shoot some hoops, okay?"

"Well all right then, but don't get your suit dirty and we will be leaving for the church soon."

David nods.

"Right mum, see ya." he says as he leaves.

Daphne just shakes her head.

Once David makes it outside, he takes off his jacket and hangs it on the chair where it won't get dirty and then he starts shooting hoops. After a while he is so engrossed in what he is doing that he doesn't see the girl approaching him. He doesn't even see her until she says his name.

"David?"

David stops what he is doing and looks in her direction. Once he sees who it is he gets a shocked look on his face. It's Michelle from school, one of the head cheerleaders. He puts his basketball down and approaches her.

"Michelle, what are you doing here?" he asks.

"I heard about your grandfather dying at school and I wanted to come and see how you were doing."

David runs his hands through his hair.

"You didn't have to do that, Michelle but it's very nice of you to stop by. I appreciate that you care so much."

Michelle smiles which makes David's heart flutter in his chest.

"Of course, I care David. You don't know by now how much I care about you, how much I like you?"

David swallows and shakes his head.

"No, I don't."

Michelle grabs David's hand.

"Well I do and I want to be here for you and your family." she says as she wraps him in a hug.

David hugs her back and gets a whiff of her perfume; it's enough to make him dizzy. He almost can't catch his breath, being this close to Michelle Taylor is intoxicating. Just when he feels his knees about to give out from underneath him, Michelle pulls out of the hug.

"Thank you so much, Michelle. Will you come to the funeral with me and my family?"

Michelle smiles at David before answering.

"Sure, I would like that."

"Great, let's go inside and I will introduce you to my family."

Michelle nods as she takes David's hand in hers. David stops to grab his jacket and then they go inside.

Meanwhile back in the living room...

Everyone is talking as they are all getting ready to leave for the church when they are interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Daphne excuses herself to answer it, and once she gets there and answers the door, she can't believe who is on the other side her brother, Simon.

Once Simon sees her, he pushes his way in the door and grabs Daphne and spins her around.

"Hello Stilts! It's great to see you!"

To be continued...


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Daphne starts smacking Simon and kicking her legs.

"Simon Moon, put me down right now!" Daphne yells.

Simon puts Daphne down and steps away from her.

"What's got your knickers in a twist? I just wanted to say hello to my baby sister." Simon explains.

"Well you could have gone about it much differently, Simon. We just lost a dear family member, and my family and mates are here to go the funeral. What are you doing here?" Daphne asks.

"That's why I'm here, I heard about Marty passing on and I wanted to come and pay my respects to him, he was always so nice to me."

Daphne just nods and crosses her arms.

"Well all right then, but you behave yourself and no drinking until after the funeral, is that clear?"

"Don't worry Stilts; I will be on my best behavior the entire time."

Daphne gives Simon a skeptical look not believing a word he says.

After David introduces Michelle to everyone, they all leave and head to the church for the funeral.

Meanwhile at the church...

The church is decorated beautifully for the funeral. There is a movie screen and sound system set up for when they show the music montage of Martin's life. There will be pictures shown as Frank Sinatra's My Way plays. People are already starting to show up. Martin's friends from McGinty's, his friends from his old precinct, and a surprise guest shows up that nobody is expecting. He's already at the church waiting on everyone to show up so he can surprise them.

The casket with Martin's body finally arrives as it's wheeled to the front of the church, an American Flag draped over the top of it in honor of Martin's work in the police force for all those years. It's placed on the podium in between two different photos of Martin, one from his days as a rookie cop and another one taken recently.

The whole family finally makes it into the church and finds their designated places to sit. Since Niles has his wheelchair, he will be sitting at the end of the row of pews as not to be in everyone's way.

Daphne is pleased on how beautiful the church looks; they all did a great job decorating it. She will have to thank Jordan's family for doing such a good job. As they are all getting situated in their seats, they get the surprise of their life.

Frasier and Charlotte are sitting at the end near the aisle of the church, and as they are talking to one another, Frasier gets a tap on his shoulder. He turns around and can't believe who he sees.

"Hi, Dad."

Frasier gets the biggest grin on his face as he stands up and faces his son.

"Frederick! I'm so glad you're here son! I'm glad you could make it!" he cries as he wraps Freddie in a hug.

Charlotte stands up with a smile on her face as she watches Frasier with his son. Freddie is so grown up and handsome. He looks just like his father.

"I'm glad to be here too, dad." he says as he pulls out of the hug.

Frasier gets a sad look on his face as he looks at Freddie.

"I'm sorry it has to be under such sad circumstances, Frederick. I know how much you loved your grandfather."

Freddie nods.

"Yes I did and I knew that I had to be here to say goodbye to him properly. I still can't believe he's gone, dad."

"I know, son, I know." Frasier replies as he hugs Freddie again.

Freddie spots Charlotte as he is hugging his father and smiles at her. She smiles back and waves. Freddie pulls out of the hug and hugs his stepmother.

"Hi Charlotte, I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you too, Freddie. Why don't we let everyone else know you're here?"

Freddie nods.

"Okay, I can't wait to see everyone."

Frasier and Charlotte take Freddie over to see the rest of the family. Daphne is busy with Simon, trying to keep him from making a fool of himself. Jordan and Emily are sitting together, as well as David and Michelle, Ashling is sitting talking to her dad, Ronee, Donny and Roz are all keeping each other company. Frasier, Charlotte and Freddie approach the family as Frasier gets their attention.

"Look who was able to make it to the funeral today."

They all turn, look and see Freddie standing with Frasier and Charlotte. Everyone has mixed expressions on their faces as they are all in shock to see him, and when it finally hits them, they all get up to greet him. They are all so happy to see Freddie and have missed him dearly.

It's finally time for the funeral to start as Jordan's dad steps up to the podium.

"Good afternoon everyone, I'm Pastor Aaron Evans, most of you know me from church but today I'm here to help celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Crane. Martin Crane was a good man that loved his family and worked hard to give them everything he could, and in return his family and friends would like to return that favor today. They want to do that by remembering him and giving him a proper send off, in a very special way. Now I'm going to turn this part of the service over to Martin's sons Dr. Frasier Crane and Dr. Niles Crane."

Pastor Evans steps down as Frasier and Niles go up to the podium. They made sure a ramp was installed for Niles, as to make it easier on him. Once they reach the podium, Frasier is the first to speak.

"Thank you Pastor Evans. I'm glad that all of you could make it today to remember our father and just how much he meant to each and every one of us. "

Frasier hands the microphone to Niles.

"Yes Frasier, and in doing so we put together a montage of our father's life in pictures, set to music. As most of you know, our father was a fan of Frank Sinatra, so we chose his song "My Way" in tribute of him, and if you really knew our father you know this song fits him perfectly. And so it goes."

Niles gives the signal for them to start as he and Frasier go back to their seats. The church gets dark as the lights are shut off, then the movie screen lights up as the music starts.

"My Way"*

And now, the end is here

And so I face the final curtain

My friend, I'll say it clear

I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full

I traveled each and ev'ry highway

And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few

But then again, too few to mention

I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway

And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew

But through it all, when there was doubt

I ate it up and spit it out

I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried

I've had my fill, my share of losing

And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing

To think I did all that

And may I say, not in a shy way,

"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself, then he has naught

To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels

The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

[Instrumental]

Yes, it was my way

The pictures start out showing Martin as a young boy in various stages, and then work their way up to his teenage years, followed by his early days on the force, meeting Hester, their wedding, then him becoming a father twice, and then various stages of him with the boys growing up, more of him on the police force, then him as a grandfather to Freddie, then various pictures of him after his retirement and being shot, and then eventually him at Niles and Daphne's wedding at the court house, and then photos of him becoming a grandfather three more times with the birth of Niles and Daphne's three children, as well as his marriage to Ronee, the final pictures are of him in his few remaining years.

During all this, you can hear people sobbing, sniffling and blowing their nose as they remember Martin through each of the pictures. The montage finally ends as the song fades out and the lights come back on. There isn't a dry eye in the house. Everyone comes up and eulogizes Martin in their own way with stories and anecdotes of their time with him.

The funeral finally ends as pall bearers go to the front of the church and grab the casket. They carry it out to the waiting hearse as everyone follows. They have a beautiful grave side ceremony; Pastor Evans says a few words and quotes from the Bible as Martin's casket is lowered into the ground next to Hester's. Frasier and Niles both throw a handful of dirt onto the casket as they watch it descend into the ground. Daphne joins Niles and Charlotte joins Frasier as they all say their final goodbyes to a man that meant so much to all of them.

Niles is the one to say something first.

"Dad, thank you for everything. I know you are at peace now because you and mom are together again; you are reunited now for all eternity. You take good care of mom and never forget how much I love you. See you again someday, rest in peace, Dad. Goodbye for now." Niles brushes away the fresh tears that have fallen and sniffles.

Frasier then speaks and pretty much says the same thing as Niles, he then brushes away the tears that have fallen.

Daphne speaks from her heart about how much Martin has meant to her and how she was grateful that he was the one that helped her get hired on as his physical therapist. She mentions how if it weren't for that she wouldn't have met her husband and father of her children and finishes up with how much she loves him and will miss him.

The four of them just stand there for a bit longer and hold each other as they look at the casket one more time and quietly sob.

The moment is broken when Simon shows up looking for Daphne.

"Daphne, there you are! I've been looking all over the bloody place for you!"

Daphne gets a dirty look on her face as she turns around to face her brother.

"Simon, what do you want?! We are trying to say our goodbyes to Martin!"

"I know Stilts and I'm sorry, but I wanted to inform you that I'm meeting a few mates at the pub. I ran into some of Marty's old partners from the police force and they invited me to have a few pints with them. So don't wait up, I may be home late!"

Daphne just brushes her brother off.

"Fine Simon, whatever. See you later."

Simon leaves, leaving the four of them alone together again.

They all eventually finish up what they wanted to do and head home. It's been a long day for all of them but just what will tomorrow bring?

To be continued...

*song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra


	39. Chapter 39

**DISCLAIMER: I want to warn you that this chapter is going to get pretty graphic. It concerns one of the children, so if you hate anything concerning blood or the like; I wouldn't read this chapter. If you think you can handle it, go ahead and read. I just wanted to warn you that it won't be pretty. Enjoy! **

Chapter 39

After the funeral, everyone went straight home. Frasier and Charlotte are planning on heading back to Chicago to get back to work; they have already been gone too long. Frasier and Charlotte both miss work a lot and can't wait to get back to normal life. They will miss the family terribly but that's the price they pay for living so far away; but it's not like they can't fly in whenever they want.

Ashling was pretty quiet on the ride home and went straight to her room once they got home. The funeral really affected her, and losing her grandfather has been pretty hard on her. She didn't take to well to her father being sick, so it's not surprising that's she not handling Martin's death very well either. Everyone makes sure they keep an eye on her, so she doesn't start cutting herself again to cope with her pain.

David and Michelle have gotten closer, and as it turns out she and Jordan's sister Megan are good friends and even goes to the church that their father preaches at. Of course Emily and Jordan are still inseparable.

The next day...

It's Sunday which is pretty much a lazy day for everyone. Emily has gone to church with Jordan; David has gone to church with Michelle. Ashling is the only one of the children that's at home. Niles and Daphne are spending some time together, watching a movie and eating popcorn as they are cuddled together on the couch. They aren't worrying about Ashling too much, since she does tend to spend time alone by herself from time to time. The last time they checked on her, she was in her room reading so they just left her alone. They are all trying to keep their minds off losing Martin, and it gets easier day by day and what gets them through is knowing that he's with Hester now.

After a while the kids get home from church, and as usual David is hungry so he raids the fridge as soon as he gets home. Emily hasn't really felt good all day, so she went to lie down in her room after changing out of her church clothes. Daphne is concerned for her daughter, so she reluctantly disengages herself from her husband to go check on her daughter.

David joins his father on the couch as they watch the movie together as he eats a bag of chips. Once Daphne reaches Emily's door, she knocks.

"Emily its mum, may I come in?"

"Sure mum, come on in." Emily manages to say.

Once Daphne enters Emily's room, she closes the door behind her. She then looks at her daughter who is sprawled out on her bed on her stomach. She really doesn't look well at all. Daphne sits down on the bed next to her daughter.

"So I hear you aren't feeling well?"

Emily turns her head to face her mom as she shakes her head.

"No I don't mum. My stomach has been hurting me all day."

Daphne feels Emily's forehead for a fever but she feels normal.

"Well you don't have a fever, but are you feeling any other discomfort or anything?"

Emily shakes her head.

"No, not really. I'm just tired and have a stomachache."

"What kind of stomachache do you have? I mean where does it hurt?" Daphne asks.

Emily rolls over and puts her hand on her abdomen.

"It hurts right here, oh and mum I think there might be something wrong with me."

"Why would you think there is something wrong with you? All you have is a stomachache, that's not unusual, sweetie."

"I know that, mum." Emily gets up off her bed and goes over to her clothes hamper and takes something out of it. She climbs back on her bed and sits up facing her mother. "But is this normal?" she asks as she shows her mother a pair of her underwear with a red spot in them.

Daphne takes them from Emily and looks at them and then she gets a shocked look on her face. Her hand goes to her mouth as she starts to cry.

Emily becomes concerned for her mother.

"Mum, are you okay? Why are you crying?" she asks.

Daphne looks at her daughter and smiles and then wraps her in a hug.

"I'm more than okay, Emily. In fact, I've never been better."

Emily pulls out of the hug and gives her mother a questioning look.

"Mum what's going on? You aren't making any sense right now."

"You're 12 years old aren't you?" Daphne asks her daughter.

Emily nods before answering.

"Yes, I'm 12 years old, why?"

"I know what's going on with you and I couldn't be happier, Emily!" Daphne cries.

"Well what's going on mum?" Emily asks; still confused.

Daphne looks her daughter right in the eyes.

"You got your first period. You're a woman now." she says; smiling.

Emily gives her mother a look that is a mixture of shock and surprise. She is speechless; she doesn't know what to say.

This is the time Daphne decides to give her daughter "the talk".

Meanwhile...

Ashling is tired of acting like she's reading her book, because it really isn't helping her and besides she can't concentrate anyway. She keeps reading the same paragraph over and over again. She can't stop thinking about her grandfather being gone, she can't believe he died. She just doesn't understand why these things keep happening. Her father gets sick and almost dies but then he gets better, then just when she thinks things are looking up, her grandfather up and dies. It's just not fair and she just doesn't want to deal with any of it anymore. She doesn't even care about her dancing anymore. She opens the drawer of her nightstand that's next to her bed and searches through it until she finds what she was looking for. She picks it up and looks at it and gets a smile on her face.

Perfect, I knew I could count on you, old friend. I know you will get the job done just right. Ashling thinks to herself.

She pushes the sleeve of her shirt up her right arm as she spots all the healed over scars from back when she was cutting. She thinks about that for a minute and then she places the blade against her bare arm and pushes down till she feels pain. She then runs it across her arm as she sees the blood come out of the wound; her eyes begin to water from the pain. She lifts the blade up and does it again, and again and again. She's never seen so much blood in her life, usually it bothers her to see so much blood but right now she could care less. She then pushes the sleeve of her shirt up on her left arm as the blood from her right arm drips everywhere. She puts the blade against the skin of her arm and repeats what she did on the left arm; and once she's satisfied she takes a tissue and wipes the blood off the blade before sticking it back in her drawer. She realizes she is getting blood all over, so she gets up off the bed to go to the bathroom to clean herself up. Once she stands up, she starts feeling dizzy, so she grabs onto her dresser as she heads towards the door. However, she never makes it that far as she sees stars before her eyes, then feels her knees give out under her and then everything goes black...

Meanwhile...

Daphne and Emily have finished "the talk" and now Emily feels better now that she understands what's going on with her body. She really appreciates that her mom took the time to talk to her about her period and the changes her body is going through. It shows how much her mother really cares and loves her. Emily gives her mother a hug and lays back down on the bed. Daphne goes to her bathroom to get Emily some pain reliever for her cramps and then watches her take it.

Once Emily has taken the pain reliever she lays back down to rest. Daphne excuses herself and lets Emily rest. She doesn't really feel like making dinner so she decides to order pizzas for everyone. As she goes to the phone to order the pizzas she sees that Niles and David are watching the movie together. Niles has his arm around David as they laugh at what's going on in the movie. She smiles as she watches them for a few moments and then goes to the kitchen to order the pizzas. Niles sees her out of the corner of his eye and stops her. He turns to look at her and gives her a worried look.

"So is Emily all right?"

Daphne nods and then looks over at David.

"Um David, I'm not up to cooking supper tonight and I was going to order some pizzas, you want to go to the kitchen and order them while I talk to your father?"

David nods as he stands up.

"Sure mum, I'll order the pizzas."

Once David is out of the room, Daphne joins Niles on the sofa. She looks at him and smiles.

"Emily is just fine, Niles. She just became a woman, today. She got her first period."

Niles eyes get big like saucers and then he smiles as he hugs Daphne.

"Our little girl is a woman now."

Daphne nods as she continues to hug Niles.

"Yes she is, she's growing up."

Niles pulls out of the hug and looks at Daphne.

"So I assume you gave her "the talk"?" Niles asks.

Daphne nods.

"Yes I did and she handled it very well, I'm so proud of her."

Niles smiles before answering.

"So am I, Daphne."

David interrupts them for a moment.

"Mum, do you know what Ashling wants on her pizza?" he asks.

Daphne shakes her head.

"No I don't actually; she is always changing her mind about what she likes. I'll go ask her right now." Daphne says as she gets up from the couch.

Once she finds herself in front of Ashling's bedroom door, she knocks but gets no answer. She knocks a bit harder, but still gets nothing.

"Ashling it's mummy, are you awake?" Daphne asks.

She waits a few moments for a response but gets nothing.

"Sometimes that girl can be so stubborn." Daphne says under her breath as she tries the doorknob.

Thankfully it's unlocked as Daphne turns the doorknob and pushes the door open. The room is bathed in semi darkness; the only light is what is coming through the window curtain.

"Ashling, are you in here? I just want to know what you want on your pizza, sweetie."

As Daphne says this she steps further into the room and feels her foot hit something; her curiosity gets the best of her as she flips on the light switch and isn't prepared for what she sees. As soon as she realizes what it is, she lets out a bloodcurdling scream...

To be continued...


	40. Chapter 40

**Well after a little over a year, it's finally here; the last chapter of Dance For My Father. I hate to see it end but unfortunately the time has come. I enjoyed writing it; it was fun but a bit challenging but all in all I am happy the way it turned out. Thanks to all my friends iloveromance (Andrea), Kristen (Kristen3), Leigh Ann, Maria (Jan2StaMuse), and Anika (crazysockmonkeys) for all your encouragement and feedback; it was greatly appreciated. I'm so glad all of you enjoyed the story so much and thanks for being my friends. I couldn't have done it without you (and Niles and Daphne, of course). If I forgot anyone, I'm sorry and I also give you much thanks! Please enjoy this last chapter and please tell me what you think! *hugs***

Chapter 40

Niles and David hear Daphne scream, David is the first one to reach her. It takes Niles a bit longer since he has to get in his wheelchair. Once David gets there and sees what is going on, he grabs his cell phone to call 911. He just can't believe that this is happening; he's never seen so much blood. Niles finally reaches Daphne as she falls to her knees and grabs her daughter as her body is racked with sobs. Niles sees his daughter lying in a pool of blood and is in a state of shock; he can't do anything but just stare.

Emily hears the commotion and comes out of her room to investigate. Once she gets there and sees her sister, her hand flies to her mouth as she lets out a scream and starts crying.

David finally makes it back and goes to Ashling's side; he has a first aid kit in his hand. The 911 dispatcher told him to stop the flow of blood by applying a tourniquet to the affected areas. He opens up the first aid kit and takes out the tourniquets as he tries to do what he was told to do but his mother won't let go of Ashling.

"Mum, you need to let go of Ashling, so I can wrap her arms up, to help stop the bleeding."

Daphne just keeps on holding Ashling and rocking her in her arms, as she continues to cry. Daphne isn't hearing a thing that David says. Emily manages to pull herself together and help David out by grabbing her mother and taking her into the living room.

David wraps Ashling's arms with the tourniquets; he just hopes it's enough until the paramedics arrive. Niles wheels himself to the living room to be with Daphne and Emily while David stays by Ashling's side until the paramedics arrive.

Once the paramedics arrive, Emily lets them in and shows them where Ashling is as they tend to her. Before long they have her on the ambulance and on the way to the hospital. Everyone rides in David's car to the hospital, even though it's late; they know they have to be there. They knew they wouldn't be able to sleep anyway worrying about Ashling all night.

Two hours later...

Everyone is at the hospital waiting for news on Ashling. David has informed the rest of the family about what is going on, they promise to get there as soon as they can.

The doctor finally arrives to speak to the family that is present. Daphne is just sitting there, as she continues to wipe her eyes with a tissue. She just can't stop the tears from coming. Niles is still in a state of shock, Emily is a bit upset herself but she still manages to hold it together. David is the strong one, who is keeping everyone calm and taking charge of things.

The doctor approaches them as he gets their attention.

"Dr. and Mrs. Crane?"

Niles and Daphne look up at the doctor as he sits across from them. They continue to look at him, waiting for him to give them news about their daughter.

"Well," he says as he looks at Niles and Daphne. "Ashling pulled through just fine. We were able to repair the damage done to her arms. She really did a number on herself. If you wouldn't have found her when you did, she may not be with us right now."

Daphne lets out a loud gasp as she falls against Niles. He puts his arm around her.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that we can't seem to get her to wake up. We put her under for the surgery but it has long worn off and yet she still won't wake up. She seems to have given up. It's almost like she doesn't want to wake up at all. It's like she feels she has nothing to live for."

Daphne is the one to react.

"No! Not me daughter; not me baby girl!" she screams as she stands up and walks away. She continues to cry.

"I can take you all to see her, and maybe you can give her a reason to wake up and fight. Show her that she has a lot to live for and how much she is loved." the doctor explains.

Niles is the one to say something this time.

"Thank you doctor for letting us know. We will be in to see her shortly."

"Very well then, she is in room 48. It's just down the hall to the left when you are ready."

Niles nods as the doctor excuses himself.

Niles wheels himself over to Daphne and takes her hand in his.

"Why don't we go and see our daughter, Daphne? The doctor said it would be the best thing for her right now, and that is what we want for her."

Daphne nods as she wipes her eyes and nose with a tissue. They let David and Emily know what is going on and then head to Ashling's room. David and Emily go to the cafeteria to get something to eat while they wait.

Once Niles and Daphne are in Ashling's room, they look at her and she doesn't look at all well. She is pale with dark circles under her eyes, her lips are dry and cracked, and she is hooked up to oxygen with a nasal cannula in her nostrils. Her arms are wrapped up with bandages from her wrists to her elbows. They just look at her for a few moments; not believing what they are seeing. It's hard to believe that this is their daughter. Just when they thought her days of cutting herself were over.

Daphne finally manages to approach the bed as she leans over and takes one of Ashling's hands in hers. Niles wheels himself closer to the other side of the bed as Daphne begins to speak.

"Ashling, its mummy. Your doctor told me that you have given up on life and that you don't want to wake up, but there is something I should tell you, sweetie. The day I found out I was pregnant with you; I was so scared; I didn't know what to do. I wasn't ready for another baby so soon after Emily, but when I had a dream about you and felt you kick for the first time, there was no doubt in me mind that I loved you and wanted you. I also remember how I felt the day you were born, it was one of the happiest days of me life. When the doctor pulled you from me body, I saw you crying, and then when he placed you in me arms and I saw your little face; me heart was filled up with so much love for you, I thought I would burst. "

Niles gets tears in his eyes listening to Daphne talk to their daughter; it makes him cry because he knows she means every word.

"I just wanted you to know that we all love you, sweetheart. We want you to wake up and we want you to know that you have so much to live for. We all need you here so please wake up for all of us who love you." Daphne adds as she looks at Ashling hoping for any sign that she's waking up.

Ashling doesn't react; she just continues to remain in a deep sleep. Daphne lets go of Ashling's hand as she begins to cry again. She walks away from the bed and over to Niles as she grabs his hand. They look at each other with tears in their eyes.

"Oh Niles, what if this is the end for our little girl?"

Niles squeezes Daphne's hand to reassure her.

"She'll come back to us Daphne; we can't give up on her. What you said to her had to of gotten through. She's a strong girl, like her mama." Niles says as he smiles at Daphne through his tears.

Daphne smiles back at Niles through her tears as they continue to hold hands. Suddenly, they hear a noise coming from Ashling's bed as they look over and see her waking up.

Ashling opens her eyes and looks around the room.

"Mummy, daddy?"

Niles and Daphne approach her bed.

"Yes, Ashling we are here." Daphne says as she grabs Ashling's hand with the tears brimming her eyes.

Ashling looks at both of her parents before speaking.

"Can we get a dog?"

Niles and Daphne both laugh as they wipe the tears from their eyes.

"Yes, I think that can be arranged." Niles replies with a smile.

Two months later...

Ashling has recovered well and has been seeing a therapist twice a week. He is a colleague of Niles' and was highly recommended. Ashling is well enough to attend the wedding of Donny and Roz. Daphne is the matron of honor while Emily and Ashling are the bridesmaids. Niles is the best man while David and a friend of Donny's from his law firm are the groomsmen. It was a beautiful but simple ceremony. Niles was happy to be a part of the wedding since he was out of the wheelchair and able to walk on his own. He still has to walk with the assistance of a cane; and to honor his father, Ronee gave Niles his father's old cane. Niles uses it with love and pride, and Daphne is happy because it helps her remember Martin and how she came to be a part of their lives.

Once the wedding is over, and Donny and Roz are on their way to their honeymoon; it gives Niles a chance to think about everything that has happened in the last several months, and it makes him smile because even though a lot of it was sad; he got through it because of Daphne. He has been able to get through anything having her by his side, the love she has given him, the life she has given him and the three beautiful children she has given him, is all proof that love really does conquer all. Love is really all you need, and he has that; tenfold. He doesn't know what he would ever do without her.

They all decide to stop by Martin's grave on their way home from the wedding. Once they all reach Martin's grave, the children place some flowers on the grave that they picked and then they just stand there and look. They just stare at the grave as they are each busy with their own thoughts. Niles remembers something his daughter Ashling told him once after he asked her why she loved dancing so much and she told him that dancing makes her happy. Dancing is just like life, you never know what to expect. Life's a challenge just to survive every day. As is dancing, there is something new and different to learn and experience. She was basically saying that life's a like a dance; you should be happy to be alive and if you are happy to be alive then that's all that matters. You take the good with the bad. You need to take the time to stop and smell the flowers, listen to the birds sing, tell your family and friends how much you love them and not to take a moment for granted. That's even more important now that his own father is gone.

Niles walks away from his father's grave, hand in hand with his wife; the leaves crunching under his feet. He looks up and sees his children ahead of him, talking and laughing; he remembers those exact words his daughter said and realizes they make sense. So next time instead of asking questions or wondering why, he will just enjoy the dance; the dance of life, the dance of love, the dance for his father.

THE END


End file.
